The Past Comes Back
by Katherin Bend
Summary: Hanks old friend is in trouble. Will Intelligence be able to help her? *crossover with Fire and Med characters showing up!*
1. Chapter 1

A/N: welcome folks to a new story! New fandom as well. I've been reading a bunch of Chicago stories and decided to try one out on my own. Hopefully you enjoy! I have snippets of actual stuff from the shows, but mainly making this up as I go! DISCLAIMER: I only own the characters I create. All others are owned by the main man Dick Wolf ;)

The Past Comes Back…

Chapter 1

It was the middle of summer in Chicago. That time of year when you couldn't breathe when you walked outside because of the humidity. Hank hated this time of year, the crimes were abundant . It was as if when the temp hit 90 everyone lost their minds. The precinct was sweltering. He stood in the doorway of his office, watching his employees doing everything they could to cool off. Kim and Hailey had their hair pulled up in buns, fanning their necks. Everyone had cups of ice at their desks. Not even water, they didn't need it. The ice was melting fast enough on its own. Hank heard his phone ring so he stepped back inside and answered.

"Voight."

"Henry?" a female voice came over the line.

He did a double take. No one had called him Henry in years.

"This is Hank Voight. Who is this?" he said in his usual gruff voice.

"Its Katie." Was all the caller said. Hank immediately recognized the name and jumped up to shut his door.

"Katie? It's been… how are you?"

"I'm in trouble Hen- Hank" she corrected herself. " I need your help."

The soft voice of Katherin Bend, otherwise known as Katie to Hank, or Kat to her friends, echoed in his ears. Hank hadn't thought about her in years. She and Erin were inseparable when they were younger, so much so that he and Camille basically were parenting both girls. Orphaned at a young age, stuck in foster care Kat had found a partner in crime with Erin. When Hank and Camille had unofficially adopted Erin Lindsay, they also got her sidekick. A scrappy girl back then, Hank wondered how she turned out.

" Meet me at the district, you know where right?"

"I'll be there soon." Came her answer, and she disconnected.

Hank sat back in his chair, his mind ran back the first time he met the young woman.

 _Flashback_

 _Hank looked at the girl sitting across from him at his dining room table. She was skinny, too skinny. It looked like she hadn't eaten in days. Her blond hair was thin. She had dark circles under her eyes, it looked like she hadn't had a good night's sleep in awhile. He glanced at the girl next to her. Brown hair, just as skinny as her counter part. He had picked the two up after being arrested for a petty crime. Typically they would be going straight to juvie, but he felt his heart break a little when he saw them. He left their names off the report and brought them home. He knew Camille would have been furious with him if he had let them get caught. She was surprised to see him walk in with two teenage girls, but immediately sat them down and started feeding them. They jokingly referred to the girls as their projects. They became clean, healthy and on the right side of the law._

 _End flashback_

The desk phone rang. "Voight."

"Hank you have a visitor downstairs. Should I bring her up?" Trudy Platt, the desk sergeants voice came across the line.

"Yeah. Thanks Trudy." He hung up and walked out to the rest of his team. "Listen up, we have a visitor coming up. She's an old friend, treat her with respect. "

His team members all threw glances at each other but nodded in unison.

"Hank, I've got your visitor." Trudy announced as she walked up the stairs.

Hank had to do a double take. He hadn't seen this girl since she was a teenager, and even though he knew she had aged, he still imagined her as that same skinny girl, needing a meal . Instead his eyes fell to a woman in her 30s. She looked healthy, still the same blond hair and blue eyes he remembered, but she had those same dark circles under her eyes, indicating she hadn't had a decent night sleep. He made his way to her , immediately engulfed her in a hug and didn't let go under he felt her relax against him . He pulled back and she leaned up to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Hi Henry." She caught herself "Sorry, Hank… that'll take a bit to get used to."

He laughed and wrapped his arms around her again.

The room was in a state of shock. Henry? This woman called Hank by his given name and he laughed? Hank never laughed! What was happening ?? Each of his employees had different thoughts racing through their heads, but none voiced them .

"You can call me whatever you want. It's good to see you sweetheart. You look good." He lead her to the middle of the room where his team had gathered. "These are the fine detectives and officers of the Intelligence unit." He introduced each one . "Officers Kevin Atwater, Kim Burgess and Adam Ruzak. Detectives Hailey Upton, Jay Halstead and Antonio Dawson. And the woman that brought you up here is desk sergeant Trudy Platt. Team, this is Katie Bend."

"Call me Kat. It's really nice to meet all of you." She said, shaking each of their hands. Trudy excused herself and went back downstairs.

"How do you two know each other?" Adam couldn't help but ask. This woman was definitely younger than Voight. She looked to be around the age of most of the detectives in the room.

"Hen… sorry, Hank and his wife Camille took me in when I was younger. "

"So you knew Erin?" Jay spoke up. Hank didn't talk about her much anymore ,and he missed his ex girlfriend and partner.

"I did." Her face lit up at her friends name. "We were best friends. Hank and Camille helped us out, got us off the streets. If it hadn't been for them… I'm not sure either of us would still be around." She gave Hank a smile.

"Let's go to my office . You can fill me in on what's been going on with you." He steered her towards his office and shut the door.

The rest of the team watched as they walked away. Once the door was shut it was gossip central.

"So we think that's a real story?" -Ruzak

"Erin never mentioned her." -Jay

"She seems really nice." -Kim

"Sad, but nice. " -Hailey

"Wonder why she's here after all these years?" – Kevin

The only one not joining in on the conversation was Antonio. He could read in her eyes she was there for a purpose, not just to catch up with her father figure after being away for so long. Those eyes. They were a blue grey color, and caught his attention immediately. She was pale, and had sun kissed blonde hair, which fell past her shoulders. When she shook his hand he felt a spark, but had kept his cool. He sat back at his desk , and tried to keep himself busy with paperwork. He kept stealing glances into the office, watching her pace Voights floor.

Inside the office Voight asked her to sit down but she refused. Instead she paced. She had a story to tell, and he didn't want to push her, so he sat back and waited. "Kat." Was all he had to say.

She looked at him with tears in her eyes . "Someone is trying to kill me."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The entire bull pen jumped when they heard Hank yell and slam his hands down on his desk. They debated going in but Antonio beat them to it. He rapped on the door and opened it without waiting for an answer. "Everything ok in here?" he stole a glance at the woman from Hanks past, and saw she had red rimmed eyes. "Hank?"

"Everything is fine." Kat spoke up.

"Everything is NOT fine Katherin." Kat realized she should have told him sooner, especially with him bringing out her legal name, she knew he was pissed. " Antonio take Katie over to Firehouse 51. They should have details of a fire that happened a few days ago. We need the report."

Antonio nodded and the group moved to leave the office. "You wanna explain the situation before you leave?" Hank was more angry than Antonio had ever seen before . Even back all those years ago when Antonio busted him for being a dirty cop. Back then it was a quiet anger, under the surface. Today? His face was red and he was shaking. When the younger woman laid her hand on his arm his face softened a bit, but not much.

"Yes Hank, I'll tell them before we leave." She walked out of the office with Antonio following behind . Hank stole a glance at the picture of Al and himself that sat on his desk. "Wish you were here Al. Our girl needs us." With that sentiment he walked out and joined the rest of his team.

"Listen up. We've caught a case." The team got their notepads out and were ready to start writing when he stood back and gestured to Kat to begin.

"So there's no way for me to get through this without just coming out and saying it." She looked back at Hank for support, and he nodded. "Someone is trying to kill me. My house was torched the other day, but that was only the latest in a string of situations."

The team were temporarily shocked, but immediately began their questions.

"Do you have an idea on who is doing it?" Kim came forward and gave the woman a hug. As the unspoken "Mom" of the team she thought the woman could use it.

Kat gave her a squeeze back. "Thank you. I have some ideas, but it seems unlikely after all these years. The same man Erin and I hung around with back in the day, Charles Webber. I don't know why I think it's him, it's just a feeling. And I know that's not a great answer, I'm sorry." She hung her head down, tears threatening to fall again.

"I'm sending Antonio over to Firehouse 51 to get their statements with Katie. The rest of you, I want you digging into this guys background . Find me a current location , a girlfriend, a kid… I don't care just find something. "

"You said the fire was the latest incident, what were the others?" Adam questioned.

"Nothing as major. My car was broken in to, tires slashed. My store was vandalized. But I was home during the fire…" she trailed off.

"Oh shit- you're okay?" Hailey asked.

Kat nodded and rolled up her sleeve, showing them her injury. "Yes, I was at Chicago Med for a few hours. They treated me for this burn and smoke Inhalation, and sent me on my way. I met a Will Halstead" she glanced at Jay "Related to you ?"

Jay nodded. "Yeah, older brother. You said it could be someone from when you and Erin were younger. You don't think she's in danger too?" he directed the last part of his question towards Hank, but Kat answered.

"No. I talked to her, she's doing well. I did let her know the situation so she could be aware, but she hasn't had anything come up. She gave me a message for all of you though. She said to tell you, you better not be messing things up here without her, and that she misses you all." Kat turned towards Jay "You get a kiss." She smiled and leaned up giving him a kiss on the cheek. "She said to tell you she's sorry. You would know what that meant."

He smiled sadly and nodded .

"Alright let's find this guy. " Hank bellowed and the group scattered to do their assignments.

Antonio lead Kat downstairs to the car. When she reached for the door handle he stopped her, opening it for her. She let out a small laugh. "Someone taught you well." She smiled at him and got into the passenger seat. He stalled for a moment, watching her nose crinkle when she smiled.

He shut the door and jogged around to the drivers side, folding himself behind the wheel before answering "My abuela." He smiled back at her.

Firehouse

Antonio and Kat got to the station in record time. Thankfully the occupants of the firehouse were all still there, they hadn't been sent on a call. When they got out of the car and started towards the doors they heard a yell.

"Hey!" they saw most of the crew sitting in the truck bay, playing cards. They group stood in unison with smiles on their faces.

"If it isn't my favorite ex brother in law. Antonio, it's been awhile." Matt Casey walked forward, extending his hand and shaking the other mans. Then he caught a glimpse of who was with him. "Kat? Hey! How are you feeling?" he wrapped her in a hug .

Antonio was taken back. They seemed friendly…

"I'm doing much better Lieutenant Casey." She stepped back and waved to everyone else gathered.

"Matt. I told you call me Matt. What can we do for you?"

"You bring more cookies?" Otis piped up from the back and the group laughed.

"Sorry, not today." She smiled at them and turned back to Matt. "Detective Dawson needs the report from the fire at my place."

"I need statements from everyone that was there. Intelligence caught her case, and we need everything you have."

Matt nodded. "Of course. How did intelligence get a possible arson case?" he asked leading the two back into the station.

"Hank and I go way back, so I called him for help." Kat didn't elaborate. She knew there had been history between the fire house and her surrogate father, but hadn't been around for the details of why.

Matt nodded again. "I see. Your first stop will probably be the Chief. Then you can ask us anything you need." At that moment the alarm went off, signaling that the group was needed elsewhere. "Sorry guys. You can talk to squad, they weren't called out. See you later!" he gave Kat a kiss on the cheek, waved and took off towards the truck.

The members of squad were sitting around the dining room table when Antonio and Kat came in. "Hey girl! What are you doing here? You feeling better?" Kelly Severide rose and came to give her a hug.

The remaining squad members waved and smiled. Antonio felt a stab of pain… what was this jealousy? He met the woman an hour prior and already he was jealous of the fire fighters that had saved her? He needed to get over that quick.

"Hi Lieutenant Severide, I'm healing thanks to you all. Detective Dawson was needing to talk to you about the fire at my house." She shuffled her feet unsure what to do from here.

"Oh sure! And it's Kelly. You know that. " He winked at her and she blushed. "Antonio, ask away." He sat back down at the table.

They settled in and went through what they had seen. A short time later the other group returned and he began questioning them. Kat stood back near the kitchen when she heard two female voices approaching . "Hey you! How's the burn ?" Sylvie Brett and her partner Foster were standing in either side of her.

"Much better, thank you." The women each gave her a quick hug.

"Glad to hear it. Hey Antonio!" Sylvie called out to the detective , who grinned and waved at her. "So Voight caught your case?"

Kat didn't want to get into details so she just explained that she and Hank were old friends. That seemed to satisfy the paramedics curiosity.

Not too long after Antonio had spoken with all the firefighters, and the two paramedics, as well as the chief. They left the fire house with Kat promising to bring more cookies to them soon.

"Cookies huh?" Antonio had to tease.

"Yeah, I own a bakery." Kat explained smiling . "I made them a batch after the fire as a thank you. Don't worry, Intelligence will get some too."

As they were driving back to the district Antonio stole a glance at this mystery woman. She had a natural beauty to her, no makeup or fancy clothes. Dressed in jeans and a t-shirt she looked like the girl next door. He could tell the situation was having an impact on her. While her eyes were a beautiful blue grey, she had dark circles under them. On a whim he reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. "You have the best team around on your case. We will get the bastard." He was pleasantly surprised when she didn't jerk away, instead squeezing back and smiling at him.

"I know. We may have just met, but I trust you. All of you."

21st district Intelligence

The remaining team members ran every thing they could on Charles Weber, but came back empty handed.

"Financials are clean." Kevin posted the information on the white board.

"He's been in the clear for over 10 years. No arrests, not even a parking ticket." Kim stuck his old booking photo up on the board.

Hank was growing more frustrated by the minute . "Talk to your CIs . See if they know anything about a hit being put on a cops kid."

Everyone stopped and became silent. "Cops kid? Sarge…" Adam started before Hank cut him off.

"She's like my daughter. So just, ask around. Call me the minute you hear something. " He stormed off into his office slamming the door shut.

The group was leaving when Kat and Antonio walked back in. "Where you guys going?"

"Sarge said to check with our CIs, see if we can dig anything up. We're coming up empty so far." Adam explained as he headed down the stairs, rest of the team following behind.

Jay hung back. "Can I talk to you for a second Kat?" he pointed to the break room. She nodded and followed him.

"What can I do for you Detective?"

"Jay. Call me Jay. I just…" he rubbed his neck with one hand nervously. "I wanted to ask you…"

She saved him. "Erin. You want to know how she's doing right?"

"Yeah. I know it's been a while and I shouldn't, but I miss her. You know we were going to get married?" he didn't know what it was about this woman, but he had no qualms about telling her his and Erins history. Maybe because they were friends ? Or she just was that type of person, someone you could share things with.

"I did. Erin called me when she left Chicago , begging for advice." She reached out and grabbed his hand. "She told me you were the loyal type, someone that would always have her back during a bust." He looked down at her hand in his, she was absentmindedly running her thumb over his knuckles in an attempt to sooth him. "I want you to know, she loved you. And she's so sorry that she hurt you by leaving."

"Thanks. That helps, really. I appreciate it." He gave her a tight hug.

That's how Antonio found them when he walked in. "Oh, sorry I didn't mean to interrupt." He started to spin around and leave when Jay stopped him.

"Kat was telling me about Erin Tonio. It's all good, we're done." He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Kat, really. I appreciate it."

She smiled back at him and he left the two of them alone.

"Hank wanted to see you. I gave him the report with all the statements from the firehouse."

Kat nodded , and followed him back to Hanks office.

"I sent everyone to talk to their informants. I want to know if anyone is talking out there about a hit on a cops kid. Until this is resolved I want you staying with me. " Hank didn't ask, he just demanded.

"Hank, I'm fine. I already feel better knowing you are on the case. I don't want to put you out at all. I'm good at a hotel." She barely got the words out before he scoffed.

"No. No discussion. Go check out of wherever you're staying and meet me at the house later." He handed her the spare key he left in his desk. "Antonio drive her will you? Don't let her out of your sight."

"Got it Sarge."

"Hank before I go, where's Al? I thought he worked with you here?" Kat heard both Hank and Antonio suck in their breath. "What? What is it?"

"Antonio give us a minute, please." Hank never said please, so Antonio knew immediately to do exactly what he asked. He exited the office and shut the door behind him.

"Katie… Al was killed a few months back." He came around from his desk and sat next to her.

Kat gasped , holding her hand over her mouth. It took her a minute to regain her composure, when she did she looked Hank in the eyes. "I'm so sorry Dad." She leaned over and gave the older man a warm hug.

Dad. No one had called him that in a very long time. Not since Justin…Kat didn't know about Justin being killed either. That would have to be a story for another day. He kissed the side of her head and pulled away. "Thanks Baby girl. Now , go with Antonio. He will keep you safe."

She wiped the tears from her eyes , got up and walked out the door. Antonio was waiting by the staircase. "You okay? I didn't realize you knew Al."

She nodded. "I'm sorry for your loss,for everyones. He was a really good man. I should have made more of an effort to stay in contact ." She felt a stray tear work it's way loose and on instinct Antonio took his thumb and wiped it away, running the pad over her cheek. "He was. We miss him every day."

The pair walked down the staircase and back to the car. "You want a minute? I'll wait out here, you can cry, scream whatever you need to do." He opened the door for her again and she hesitated getting inside.

Instead she turned to face him "Can I just have a hug? I really could just use one."

He didn't think twice. He wrapped his arms around her and let her cry into his shoulder until she was done. After she pulled away she dried her eyes, and had a look of determination on her face. "Okay. I'm ready." She got in the car and he drove them to her hotel.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: hey friends! Hope I'm doing okay on this story… please review /follow/ favorite! MAJOR FLUFFINESS WARNING for the next few chapters.

Chapter 3

"Come on in, get out of the heat." Kat and Antonio had arrived at Hanks house, and the heat had become almost impossible to stand. Thankfully the house had central air, so they got a blast of cold air when they stepped inside. "Oh my gosh it feels amazing in here!"

Antonio laughed "Yeah this is the first time I'm relieved to be in Voights house." He sat down Kats bags in the front hallway and shut the door.

"Thanks for carrying those. That was sweet of you." She headed to the kitchen "Want something to drink?" he could hear the ice machine running .

"Water would be great thanks. " He sat down on the couch, still not completely comfortable being in Hanks house without him present.

"Two waters heavy on the ice." Kat handed him a glass and sat down on the opposite end of the couch. "Geeze I can't remember the last time it was this hot." She grabbed an ice cube from the glass and ran it over her neck in an attempt to cool off. "Bleh. How do you run around all day in this?"

Antonio had a hard time concentrating on what she was saying. He could see the trails the water was making down her neck, and the image of his tongue following those same trails flashed in his mind.

"Detective Dawson ?"

"What? Sorry, I… what were you saying?" he shook the thoughts from his head.

She laughed "Nothing important. So, tell me about my father figure. Is he a good cop?"

Antonio took a drink , trying to cool himself and his thoughts. "Oh, well, he gets results." He didn't want to bad mouth Voight to this woman, she cared about him. No good would come out of that.

Her eyes narrowed at him. "He's always been a rough guy. It seems like Matt and he have some sort of history?" she was fishing.

Antonio wasn't taking the bait. Instead he changed the subject. "So, you met Jays brother? I've only met him a few times, but he seems nice."

Kat laughed , allowing the subject change. "Yeah, super friendly. He invited me to come to this bar that some of the fire fighters own? I forgot to ask them about it today…"

"Molly's? He invited you to Molly's?" Antonio shook his head and laughed.

"Yeah! That's it. I said it sounded like more of a cop/firefighter/doctor thing but he insisted. Do you go there?"

"I do. My sister owned part of it. It's a nice place, we could go tonight if you wanted . " He held his breath hoping she said yes.

"That would be fun. I would love to." She smiled at him, her nose crinkling again. "Your sister, Matt's ex wife? I caught the whole ex brother in law comment earlier. You guys get along?"

Antonio smiled. "Yeah, they're amicable. I have no ill feelings towards him, she went to Puerto Rico to help put with the relief efforts. She's having an impact on a lot of lives. I just miss her being around. "

"I don't blame you. Erin and Justin were the closest things to siblings I had growing up. I'm glad I get to talk to Erin, but I haven't seen or spoken to Justin since I was… 20? Gosh it seems like forever ago."

Antonio knew that conversation would only lead to sadness so he made another subject change. "So you're a baker? Am I going to taste these famous cookies the firehouse was raving about?"

Kat laughed again – a noise he liked hearing. "Sure, whenever you want. I plan on bringing them one of my pies tomorrow. Speaking of that, you want to help me? Since I'm on house arrest for today we can make the most of it." She grinned at him and Antonio was done for.

"Okay lead the way."

That's where Hank found them a few hours later. He leaned in the doorway out of view, taking in the sight of the two of them, rare smile on his face.

"So what did you make them?" Antonio had been helping but not really paying attention to the ingredients.

"Okay don't laugh, it sounds weird but I promise it tastes amazing. Deep dish blueberry bacon. You think they'll like it?" Kat brushed a strand of hair off her face, leaving a streak of flour in its place. She looked at Antonio and laughed at the face he was making.

"Seriously? That's what you needed the bacon for? I'll believe that it's good when I taste it." He reached over and brushed the flour off her cheek.

Kat felt the heat rise to her cheeks but ignored it. "Oh, you will love it! But not as much as the other one I bet… although you'll have to convince Hank to share."

"I see you've done some baking today?" Hearing his name Hank rounded the corner announcing his presence.

"Hey! Yeah I made a pie for the firehouse. And one for you of course. " She bounced over to him and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"And what surprise creation am I getting?" he had a hard time keeping a straight face when she answered.

"Apple pie with a cheddar cheese crumble crust." She grinned at him. "Don't knock it til you try it!"

He held up his hands in surrender. "I trust you baby girl. Antonio, can we speak a moment?" he gestured to the living room.

"I'll take that as my cue to go clean up. I'll see you later Detective, thanks again for helping me!" She gave Antonio a quick kiss on the cheek , and he watched her walk down the hallway towards the bathroom. He sighed quietly and followed Hank to the living room.

"What's up?"

"You tell me Antonio. She'll see you later?" he gave Antonio a questioning look.

"Oh, she got invited to Molly's tonight by Jays brother. I said I would go , figured I could keep an eye out and make sure no one was skulking around . " Antonio hoped Hank couldn't see through him. In reality he was looking forward to tonight a great deal. His last relationship with Sylvie had been over for awhile, and he hadn't felt like this about anyone since.

"The doctor asked her out? I thought he was getting married?" Hank was starting to feel like he went back in time.

Antonio tried not to laugh. "He is, to another doctor at Med. No I think Will was just bring friendly. Nothing sneaky going on. Like I said, I'll watch her."

"See that you do." Hank said with a grim face.

Antonio nodded . "Listen I'll be back in about an hour. I'm gonna run home and get cleaned up. It's okay Hank, really." With that he took off.

Hank walked into his kitchen, his eyes scanning the mess. It hadn't seen that much activity in a very long time. He smiled to himself, poured a drink and went back to the living room to sit.

Kat came out about 45 minutes later, skin pink from the shower. She had changed into a sundress that brought out the blue in her eyes, and low wedge heels. She had minimal makeup and her hair had been done up, with a few strands hanging down around her face. She found Hank in the living room, glass of scotch in his hand, lost in thought. She walked over and placed a hand on his arm, to make sure he knew she was there. They smiled at each other when he looked at her.

"You look beautiful baby girl. Antonio said that Will invited you to go to Molly's tonight. He went home to get ready but said he would be back soon."

Her cheeks turned red again . "Thanks Hank. I'll clean the kitchen before we leave." She started that way when he stopped her.

"Leave it. I'll get it later."

True to his word Antonio came back about 15 minutes later. Kat opened the door , finding herself staring. He had changed into a black shirt that fit tight against his muscles, dark jeans and boots. His leather jacket hung on his arm. His eyes ran over her, and she felt the heat rise in her whole body.

"Wow, Kat… you look amazing."

"Thanks Detective, you clean up nice yourself." She turned back towards Hank. "I would say don't wait up but … we both know that's just a waste of breath." She gave him a hug and quick kiss and walked out the open door.

Antonio saw the look on Hanks face. "Sarge. I got it." He nodded and caught up to Kat at the car.

"You better take care of my girl." Hank muttered and shut the door.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Molly's

Antonio held out his hand to help Kat out of the car, and Kat gladly took it. She felt a spark when her fingers touched his, and she immediately looked into his eyes to see if he felt it to. She was happy to see his eyes darkened , indicating he had.

"This place is cute!" she announced , as they walked up to the front door.

Cute wasn't what he would call it. The place had a stubborn charm. Otis, Herrmann and Gabby had bought the place years back and immediately got in over their heads. But their friends pitched in and made Molly's what it was today, a great neighborhood place for the hard working firefighters, cops and doctors of Chicago to socialize at.

"You know, we don't have to go in. We could go some place quiet, maybe talk?" Antonio was grasping. He knew she wouldn't turn down the invitation that was given to her, she was too nice.

Kat smiled at him and leaned in close, whispering in his ear. "I need a drink." She opened the door and headed in.

He just laughed to himself and followed her inside. It was packed, and he could tell she felt out of place. That was until they heard a loud yell from by the bar.

"Kat! You made it!!" A tall red haired man walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so glad you came!" When he pulled away he saw Antonio standing next to her. "Hey Antonio! Haven't seen you in awhile how have you been?" he offered the man his hand.

"Hey Doc. Can't complain."

Kat smiled "Hi Doctor Halstead. Thank you for inviting me, this place is great!"

"I think we are on a first name basis. Call me Will. Come on, I'll get you a drink!"

"Hey Kat! Whatcha drinking ?" The silver haired bartender asked.

"Hey Christopher! Scotch please." She looked back at Antonio "And a beer?"

"Girl after my own heart." Christopher said aloud and Kat grinned.

Will turned to them "Kat I want you to meet my fiancée. Natalie this is Katherin Bend, she came in to the ER the other day. Kat, my fiancée Natalie Manning." The two women shook hands.

"Nice to meet you finally Will has NOT stopped talking about you. I was starting to get jealous." She winked at Kat and nudged Will.

"Oh stop it. It's rare we run into a friend of Erins, so I was excited. She was practically family you know." Will handed her the scotch and Antonio the beer. "In fact you should totally come to the wedding!"

Kat laughed "You do NOT mean that. You barely know me!"

Nat spoke up "No really! Come with Jay, he RSVP'D with no plus one. Antonio you should come too! "

"Thanks. Sounds like fun." He took a pull from the beer bottle Will had handed him. He stole a glance at Kat and she had a smile on her face, enjoying the company. It seemed she was popular with everyone, which was a nice thing to see.

"Shots!" Nat handed Kat a glass "You in?"

"Um… sure!" she stopped second guessing being there and decided to enjoy herself. They downed the shot and she wrinkled her nose , chasing it with her drink.

The night progressed with several dozen hugs, many conversations and multiple shots being consumed. Antonio kept a close eye on her , ready to jump in if need be, but she was having fun. After a few hours and quite a few shots in her, he saw her approaching. She had a huge smile on her face, and two shot glasses in her hands.

"Kat… you feeling okay?"

She gave him a sly smile. "Very. You are probably the only one that hasn't done a shot with me. You game?" she handed him one of the glasses.

"Sure." They clinked the glasses and each downed theirs. She had stopped feeling the alcohol a while back, it wasn't phasing her anymore. All of a sudden she squealed as someone picked her up from behind and twirled her around. When she turned she saw who it was. The alcohol had made her less formal, so everyone was being called by their first names.

"Kelly! You trying to make me throw up?" she smacked him playfully on the shoulder.

"Naw, but you looked too perfect standing there , I had to do it!" he grabbed another shot glass off the bar and handed it to her, which she immediately downed.

"You want to talk about someone perfect looking… let's talk about your girlfriend. Stella looks amazing! Did I hear her right, there's going to be karaoke later?"

"Yup! And you get first crack, being the guest of honor." He grinned at her and wandered off to get another drink.

Antonio kept count in his head. She was on shot 8, which for any normal person would probably have knocked them out. But this girl? Was acting like it was nothing. She had long since retired the glass of scotch , opting for water in between the shots she was taking . Antonio knew if he didn't cut her off soon she would be waking up with a hell of a hangover. He intended on getting her to come with him outside when a slow song came on the jukebox, and he smiled at himself at the good luck. He was about to ask her to dance when Jay walked up.

"Antonio. " Jay nodded at him, and he nodded back.

"Kat, would you like to dance?" he held his hand out to her. She blushed and nodded, following Jay to the center of the room.

Antonio took a seat at the bar, trying not to be obvious but keeping an eye on them.

On the dance floor Kat wrapped her arms around Jays neck, while he placed his on her hips. The material of her dress bunched in his fingers, as he pulled her close. "You having a good time?"

"Oh gosh yes, I'm so glad Will invited me! Speaking of invites… He also invited me to his and Nats wedding in a few weeks." She giggled "I think they're just bring polite. Actually everyone is being really sweet. I like it here. " She could feel herself rambling a bit, but she was intimidated by him for some reason.

He stared at her intensely . "You should definitely come to the wedding. Be my date?" he formed it as a question, but it sounded more like a statement.

"Sure, that would be really nice." She smiled at him.

He leaned closer to her, taking a deep breath in. "You smell delicious." He laughed "Like… cookies…."

Kat grinned at him and laughed. "Pie actually. I made one for the firehouse. Intelligence is up next, as soon as I can get back to my shop I'll make you guys a bunch of goodies."

The song ended and they broke apart. Jay grabbed Kats hand and kissed her knuckles. "Thanks for the dance. Now if you would kindly tell Tonio over there to stop giving me the evil eye, I would appreciate it."

She turned towards the bar and saw Antonio try and avoid being caught staring. She turned back to Jay and raised up on her tip toes, giving him a kiss on the cheek , whispering in his ear. "I'm sorry, Hank told him to watch me I think he's taking it a tad too serious.

He laughed and leaned down to whisper in hers "No, he is head over heels for you and is insanely jealous of all these people who are spending time with you." He winked at her when he pulled away and walked off.

Kat stood shocked at that comment. She shook her head, there's no way Jay was right. Everyone was super friendly to her, she figured because of Hank. Or maybe because they're just really friendly people… but to like her? She dismissed the thought and wove her way through people back to the bar. This time Otis was the one taking drink orders.

"Kat, what can I get you?"

She shook her head. "I'm good thanks Otis. By the way I made you guys something, think it'll be okay if I stop by tomorrow to deliver it?"

"Uh , YES. That shouldn't even be a question! Hey Lieutenants!" he waved Kelly and Matt over to the bar. "Kat wants to stop by tomorrow, she's delivering treats!"

"We will never say no to home made desserts, especially not when they are coming from you." Matt flashed her a grin.

"Tell me it's the cookies again." Kelly held his hands together symbolizing a prayer.

"Nope. This time you get pie!" she laughed when all three men pumped their fists in the air.

She felt a hand on her arm, and spun around to come face to face with Antonio. "Can we go outside for a minute?" He asked, and she nodded. He held out his hand, which she gladly took and he lead her outside.

She took a deep breath in. The air had a slight chill to it , which was surprising after the scorcher of a day it had been. Antonio noticed her slight shiver and immediately wrapped his jacket around her shoulders.

"Thanks." She smiled shyly at him. "What's up?"

He wasn't sure how to approach the subject. Actually he didn't want to talk at all, he wanted to grab her and kiss her, but she had drank a lot and he didn't want to push anything. "Did I tell you that you look amazing?" he stepped into her personal space, gauging whether she was okay with him being that close.

She blushed , biting her lip . "Thanks…"

That action was what did it for him. He leaned down and captured her mouth with his, taking his time. When they broke apart both were out of breath.

"Detective…"

"I think you can call me Antonio." He flashed a smile at her and leaned down to kiss her again when he saw a glimpse of a car slowly making it's way closer to them. He saw the gun out the window too late, and heard the pop of a gunshot.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Hank was cleaning the kitchen when he heard his phone buzz. He put the dish towel down and checked the caller ID. Feeling dread when he saw it came up as Med, he answered curtly. "Voight."

"Sergeant Voight it's Sharon Goodwin from Med. There's been an accident and we have a Katherin Bend and Antonio here."

"I'm on my way." He didn't wait for a response , he pressed end and was out the door in a few seconds.

Chicago Med

Almost all the members of firehouse 51, most of the Intelligence team, and Will and Nat all sat in the waiting room waiting on word on Antonio and Kat. They took over most of the floor, standing in hallways and pacing back and forth. Hank slipped in and cornered his team.

"What the hell happened ?" He was livid, but didn't yell.

"We don't know. Antonio and Kat were outside when we heard gunfire. We ran out and found them both down. " Jay filled him in with as much as they knew, when Doctor Rhodes came out.

"Well I'm guessing you all are here for Detective Dawson, but who is here for Katherin?" he scanned the room and was taken back when everyone raised their hands.

Hank stepped forward "I am. What do you know Doc."

"She has a through and through, left shoulder. She lost a decent amount of blood, so she could use a transfusion. Do you know her blood type?" Hank nodded. "We stitched her up and she's asleep right now."

"And Antonio?" he asked

"Antonio didn't get hit. It appears he got knocked out when he was trying to protect her. He hit his head and has a slight concussion so he will have a bit of a headache for awhile, but other than that he should be good." The doctor started to second guess that fact when he saw Hanks face. "Go easy on him. He looks like he's been through the ringer. I'll take you back whenever you're ready . " He walked towards the desk and waited.

Hank turned and faced the room full of people. "Thank you all for being here, I know Katie would appreciate it. My team – stay. Everyone else should go home. "

"No way Voight. No offense , but we all care about Kat. We will be here until she's awake." Kelly spoke up, and was joined in agreement by everyone else.

He nodded in appreciation and retreated with Dr. Rhodes to the treatment rooms.

Antonio was sitting next to Kat, holding her hand, his head hung in shame. He had gotten distracted, and she paid the price. He jumped when he felt a hand grip his shoulder.

"Antonio."

He looked up into the intense eyes of his boss. "Hank, I'm so sorry. We were outside talking and a car drove up… I tried to protect her, I did… I wasn't fast enough. "

Hank had every intention of laying into the younger man, until he saw how upset he was at himself. He decided to give him a break for the time being. "It's okay Antonio. I know you did everything you could. She's going to be fine. Why don't you head to the waiting room, you need to give the rest of the team an update."

Antonio nodded, hesitant to let go of her hand. "Hank." He started but didn't know how to finish the thought.

Hank just clapped him on the back in a silent "Thank you. " Antonio took it as that and walked out of the room to find his team.

The older man sat down in the spot Antonio vacated and grabbed Kats hand. "Baby girl, I'm so sorry. I should have never let you go out tonight." His eyes closed, silently praying .

"You couldn't have stopped me." He heard a timid voice come from the bed. He opened his eyes and saw Kats looking at him. "Hank, I had more fun tonight than I have in years. That is until I got shot. That sucked." She tried to laugh but groaned in pain. "Don't be mad at Antonio, please. We just got… distracted. " she didn't feel like getting into the details with him at the moment. "He saved me Hank. It could have been a lot worse. "

"She's right Sergeant she got really lucky. " Doctor Rhodes spoke up from the doorway. "I came to check on our sleeping beauty. How is the pain Katherin?"

"Call me Kat, everyone does. And it's about a 15 on the 1 to 10 scale. But I'll be okay." She grimaced when a wave of that pain shot through her.

"I can order pain meds, you don't have to be heroic." He checked her chart. "How about Dilaudid."

Kat shook her head. "No pain meds. I'll just live with it." She gave Hank a forced smile . "I'll be okay dad." She realized her slip when the doctor made a surprised noise.

"Doc, Katie lived with me and my family when she was younger. She might as well be my kid, so she needs anything, don't hesitate to ask. I'm gonna go check in on the team, you get some rest. " He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Love you baby girl."

"I love you too." She watched as he left the room, then turned to Doctor Rhodes. "I don't want pain medicine because I used to be addicted. Please, do not tell Hank. He doesn't know, and I definitely don't want him finding out this way."

The doctor nodded. "Of course. I can get you ibuprofen or something like that if it'll help."

"Yes, thank you. How's Antonio? I thought he might be here…" she sounded like a love sick teenager, she could tell. She also didn't care.

"I actually thought he was here too. He had been sitting by your side waiting for you to wake up since we brought you back down from surgery. He's probably in the waiting room along with the rest of your fan club." Connor laughed. "You know you have quite a few friends?"

Kat blushed. "Everyone has been so sweet to me since the fire. I'm starting to feel like a mascot or something." She laughed and immediately regretted it. Doctor Rhodes patted her hand and went off to find something she could take.

Kat leaned back and closed her eyes. The images of what happened earlier haunted her. Her back had been turned towards the car, but she saw Antonio's eyes change when he saw what was coming. The rest was like slow motion. She remembered feeling the shooting pain in her shoulder, then they both fell to the ground and complete blackness over took her. She felt something wet on her cheek. She opened her eyes and reached up with her good hand, to find she had been crying . She heard a noise in the doorway and glanced that direction, to find Will standing there.

"Hey Will." She smiled and gestured at him to come in.

"I didn't want to bother you. Hank has basically banned everyone else from the room, but I snuck past him. How are you feeling?" he sat down in the same chair Antonio and Hank had resided in earlier.

Kat shrugged with her good shoulder . "I've been better, but I'll live."

"Well medically you should be able to go home within the next few days. Although I am going to assume Hank will have you on house arrest for the time being." He joked trying to make her feel better.

She smiled at him. "Yeah I kinda think I got myself grounded for the foreseeable future ." They both laughed.

Waiting room

The room was full when Antonio made his way out there to find the Intelligence members. The crowd nodded at Antonio as he walked past and headed towards his team members. Jay saw him first.

"Tonio! You okay man? How's the head?" He grabbed Antonio and gave him a gentle pat on the back.

"It's fine." He felt dizzy but wasn't about to let anyone know. "Did we get anything from the cameras outside Molly's?"

"Atwater and Ruzek are following up with the neighbors. We already gave our statements to Hank. What kind of vehicle did you see? "

"Dark, black I think. SUV, looked like an Escalade? Tinted windows. I remember seeing the plate…" he trailed off when he saw Hank coming through the doors into the waiting area.

The questions began immediately from everyone, including Antonio. "Is she awake?" was the common one.

Hank nodded "She is. Jay I think your brother is with her. You wanna go collect him? She needs to rest." Jay nodded and took off down the hall. "As for the rest of you, I want to thank you for being here for her. I know she appreciates it too. But there's nothing more to do tonight, I suggest you all go home." With that he came to stand with his team.

Kelly and Matt walked towards him. "You need anything Sergeant you let us know." Matt stuck out his hand towards Hank. "I know we haven't gotten along in the past, but Kat shouldn't be affected by that."

Hank shook both mens hands. "Thanks Lieutenants, I appreciate that greatly. I know she would like to see both of you. Come by tomorrow morning, she should be allowed visitors. " The men nodded and left with the rest of their group.

Jay walked up to Kats room and saw Will holding her hand. He cleared his throat and they both glanced towards the door.

"Jay. Hey, she's awake. I was just checking in on her." Will patted her hand and got up to leave. "I'll stop by tomorrow and see how you're feeling okay?"

"That would be great, thanks Will. Please tell Nat as soon as I'm up and moving we are having that coffee date."

"Done. Rest up , don't forget you promised to be this guys date at our wedding in a few weeks!" he winked at her and exited the room. Jay took his place in the chair next to the bed.

"How are you really doing?" he asked her with a serious look . "What did Doctor Rhodes say?"

"I was shot. What else is there to say?" she looked away, not meeting his eyes. "How's Antonio?"

"Kat, we can't help you if you aren't honest . What don't you want Voight to know?" he sat back in the chair arms crossed , ignoring her question.

When she turned her head to finally look at him, she had tears running down her cheeks. "Jay, I'm scared. This could have been way worse. If Antonio hadn't been there…"she sniffled "Please tell me he's okay. "

"He is. Slight concussion, but he's got a hard head. He'll be fine. He's sick over you getting shot though. What were you two doing out there ?" he had his answer when her face turned red. "Ah, so he made a move. I got it."

"Please tell me dad isn't treating him badly because of this." A wave of pain rolled through her and she squinched her eyes shut, trying to keep the nausea away.

"Hank is Hank. You aren't going to change him. Antonio had a job, he didn't do it. It will be fine. But I should let you sleep, or he will have my head too. " He got up and started to move towards the door when he felt her hand grab his. He looked down at it then at her.

"Jay. Call Erin. Please. I.. I could really use my best friend. " She gave him a pleading look. "You can use my phone , in my bag."

He nodded and made the call, leaving a voice mail. "I'll try again tomorrow if you don't hear anything back okay?" he handed her the phone and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Get some sleep, you're going to have a revolving door of visitors tomorrow. " With that he walked out, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Kats mind drifted back to the first incident. She came out of the bakery and found her tires were flat. Upon further inspection she realized they had been slashed. She left the car at the bakery, called a tow truck and a cab and made her way home. Second incident happened a few days later, when she found the window to her store broken. She called the cops immediately and found nothing has been taken. The vandals just tore the store up a bit. A few days later the windows in her car were broken out. Looking back she realized she waited too long to call Voight, but she didn't really want the first conversation they had in 20 years to be her asking for a favor. Everything was quiet for about 2 weeks, until she was home one night, asleep, and smelled smoke. That was the night she met the members of firehouse 51, and Will Halstead. Her head hurt, but the waves of pain stopped long enough for her to close her eyes and drift off for a while, allowing her some much needed rest.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 _Flashback_

 _Kat came home after a long day at the bakery and immediately fell asleep on the couch. The bakery had been vandalized about two weeks earlier, and the cops were no closer to finding out who did it, but that didn't stop Kat from working. She was up at dawn, kneading dough and baking. The neighborhood loved her shop, so she wasn't about to let some punks ruin it. Kat had thought about calling Henry Voight, her surrogate father, but she hasn't talked to him in 20 years and she didn't want that to be their first conversation. She then thought about calling his best friend Alvin, but decided to just let things play out._

 _She woke up coughing, disoriented. The house was full of smoke, and she felt the heat from the flames coming through the walls. She tried to move but couldn't. Paralyzed with fear she made peace that she was going to die. The flames got closer to her, burning her arm, so she protected herself the best she could. That's when she heard a voice. "Fire department call out!"_

 _"Here!" she tried to find the person calling to her but the smoke was too thick. Last thing she thought was at least she would see Camille again, then she collapsed._

 _Matt Casey and Kelly Severide had heard a faint voice call out to them, so they moved in the general direction of where it had come from. "Casey! Got her!" Kelly found a woman laying on the floor next to the couch. She was breathing but had been injured. He picked her up and the two firemen exited the building . Immediately the paramedics started treating her. The burn was bad but not life threatening. The smoke inhalation though, that was a different story._

 _Kat woke up for a moment while on the gurney. She removed the oxygen mask and tried to thank the firefighters that saved her life, but her voice came out barely above a whisper. The blond haired paramedic tsked at her, and put the mask back on. "You can thank them after we get you to the hospital. " She squeezed Kats hand and loaded her into the ambulance, heading off to Chicago Med._

 _Once she arrived at the hospital, the smoke inhalation damage was found to not be as severe as originally thought . She was put on oxygen and had scans done. They cleaned and treated her burn, and she was able to be released within a few hours. Before leaving she got the names of the firemen and their house, so she could thank them in person. She checked herself into a hotel with what clothes she could rescue from her house, and it was then she decided she would have to call Voight._

 _End flashback_

Kat woke up disoriented. She was in the hospital, but she didn't remember why until she tried to move. She looked over at her shoulder and it came rushing back. Molly's, drinking, new friends… Antonio kissed her. She touched her lips thinking back to that moment. She felt the heat rising in her cheeks as she thought back. He was handsome. Rugged, tough, but he had been gentle with her. She saw the way he looked at her before he went to kiss her, the desire was written all over his face. That was until his eyes darkened and had fear in them. Before the shit hit the fan, and she had gotten shot. Kat groaned.

"Kat. You're awake." She heard a voice from the doorway. When she glanced up she was pleasantly surprised it belonged to Antonio. He walked in and sat down next to her. "How are you feeling?" the look of regret and anger on his face almost brought her to tears.

She reached for his hand, interlocking their fingers. "You saved my life Antonio, I don't know how I'll ever repay you."

He shook his head no. "I let you get shot." He let go of her hand, crossing his arms. "I got distracted, and it won't happen again. I wanted to just check in, make sure you were okay." He was cold to her. "I'll check back later. " He got up to leave when she stopped him.

"Antonio, I know what you're doing. You think by brushing me off it'll help? You and I had a connection, still do. I like you, and I'm pretty sure by that kiss last night you like me too. So be mad all you want, but pushing me away isn't going to help anyone. So go find the shooter, do your job. But don't throw away something we might have, I'm begging you."

His face softened , but his resolve didn't waver. "I'll check in later." He reiterated , and left.

Hank had been standing outside the room, listening to the conversation between Kat and Antonio. He wasn't surprised they took a liking to each other, but that needed to take a back seat to finding out who was attacking Kat. When Antonio walked out of the doorway and rounded the corner he jumped seeing Hank staring at him.

"Sarge." He had a cat ate the canary look on his face. "You heard that?"

Hank nodded . "We will discuss that later. Right now I want you at the district , going over every inch of video we have on that street." They saw the fire fighters making their way down the hall towards Kats room. "Talk to the owners of Molly's, see if they have video surveillance. " Antonio nodded and walked to meet the group.

The two lieutenants of Firehouse 51 their way to where Hank was standing . "Sergeant, can we see her?" Matt and Kelly both had their hands full of flowers.

"Yeah, she would like that. " He gestured to the room and the two of them went inside.

Kat smiled wide when she saw them walk in, flowers in hand. "What in the world is all this?"

"Some get well gifts from all of us at Firehouse 51." Kelly sat his flowers down around the room and came to give her a kiss on the cheek. "How are you feeling this morning?"

Matt did the same thing on her opposite side. "You have a lot of friends Kat, just so you don't think you're going through this alone. "

"Thank you, both of you. This means the world to me. I'm doing better, the pain is… manageable. I think I'll get to go home in the next day or so." She had look of determination on her face. "I have your pie at Hanks house!! Make sure he gets it to you okay? I don't like promising something and not delivering . Otis would never forgive me."

The two men laughed "Don't worry about that. Just get yourself better . "

"We will let you rest but just know we are all here for you Kat. You have a big family with us."

She smiled and nodded at them, her emotions were getting the better of her and she couldn't speak. They each gave her another kiss and left.

And the day went on with more of the same. She received visitor after visitor, and in between Doctor Rhodes came to check on her vitals. Later on Nat and Will stopped by, to check in and bring some real food, they knew the hospital food was worthless. Later on the evening she was given the all clear , and was discharged the next day with strict orders for limited activity for at least a week. By the time she left the hospital , she was overwhelmed with gratitude for everyone that had helped her, she knew it was time to come clean with Hank and his team.

21st district

Hank had brought Kat to the station, under strict instructions by Doctor Rhodes that she be monitored and take it easy. She would be in the sling for another few days, and he didn't want her to tear anything . Kat figured it would be easier to tell everyone at once what she had been keeping a secret, and they deserved to know .

As she sat down at Hanks desk, it started to sink in that she was really going to tell the man who brought her in from the streets what had been going on since she saw him last . She started to feel terrified, not of Hank… the man could scare the toughest criminal but not her. He took her in when she needed help the most… he saved her, and Erin. They had a hard time before he found them, it definitely hadn't been sunshine and roses. Erin had been hooked on drugs that they were pushing for a neighborhood dealer. Kat didn't touch the drugs… but she had been used by the dealer in other ways. Then came along Hank, taking them out of their life of crime and into a family. Her phone buzzed pulling her out of her thoughts. She checked the caller ID and smiled. "Hey Er. Bout time you called me back…"

Hank had the team gather in the bull pen. They had pulled a partial plate off the surveillance footage outside the bar, and were in the process of running it down. Hank looked up from the file he was reading to see Kat leaning against the doorway of his office . "Katie, sit down. You are supposed to be taking it easy." He grabbed a spare chair and brought it to her.

"I got shot in the shoulder dad. My legs are fine." She rolled her eyes but sat down anyway. "I need to tell you all something. " She took a deep breath. "I think I know who has been doing these attacks. I didn't say anything before, because I wasn't sure… But I just got off the phone with Erin, and she agrees it sounds like him."

Hank tried not to glare at her, but he was angry. "Who."

"Kenneth Bowman." The team didn't recognize the name, but Hank did.

"The dealer you two were involved with? That was …"

"Over 20 years ago, I know." Here came the hard part. "I… met up with him about 5 years ago, when I moved back to Chicago." She couldn't meet Hanks stare. "I wasn't doing well, and it just happened. I ended it after he started getting aggressive. Dad…"

Hank couldn't hear anymore . He got up and walked away. Kat tried to follow, but Jay stopped her. "Give him a few minutes, he will say something he regrets if you try and talk to him now. "

"I screwed up, didn't I." she hung her head. "I should have come clean from the beginning. It was just so nice to have him back in my life, I didn't want … this to happen." Jay put his arm around her , pulling her close .

From the other side of the bullpen Antonio watched the pair. He shouldn't have been cold to her in the hospital. That spike of jealousy was running full throttle right now, thinking he should be the one comforting her, not Jay. But there was no time for that now . With a new name they started running down financials and dumping his phone .


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Hank couldn't listen to her. He paced up and down the street in front of the district, livid at the girl… no , woman, he had come to think of as his daughter . He had saved her from that life, why would she even think about going back to it ? He realized he hadn't done as well at keeping tabs on her as he did Erin. After Kat moved out she disappeared off his radar, where Erin came to work for Intelligence. Hank decided to give her a chance to fully explain, but right now he needed to take a walk.

Meanwhile , Kat was sitting, with head in her hands, unsure what to do. She wanted to go after Hank, explain everything . His team seemed to think it would be best to let him cool off , but this man was everything to her. She was afraid the longer he stewed the worse it would be. She felt Jay pat her good shoulder , and she jumped. She forgot he had been sitting with her.

"You wanna tell me the story? It might help to get it out. No judgement." He held out his hand and she took it.

"It started when I left mom and dad's house… Hank and Camille. I moved to Wisconsin, went to college. Needed to get away from Chicago, so I went to the polar opposite town."

"Where?" Jay looked at her curious. His family had a cabin in Northern Wisconsin, and it definitely was the opposite of Chicago.

"Green Bay."

He laughed . "You know we are rivals then right ?" he was trying to lighten the mood and it worked for a minute.

She smiled "Yeah, I know. But the town was amazing. So were the people. I graduated college, spent time in nature… I know Chicago winters are rough, but you should see how magical they are up north. I could have lived there for the rest of my life. I probably should have. "

He decided to keep the cabin out of the conversation for now. "So why didn't you?"

She took a deep breath "I heard about Camille. I didn't even let Hank know I was back, but I was there at the funeral . Erin saw me, but she didn't pressure me into sitting with them. They were their own family unit, and I didn't fit anymore . Leaving the funeral I was in an accident, and laid up for a few months. Nothing horribly serious, but I did a number to my back. Which led me to get on pain killers… "

He didn't push, he just squeezed her hand and made circles with his thumb on her knuckles until she continued.

"I'm sure you've heard this old tale a million times. Girl gets hurt. Girl gets hooked on pain killers. Girl can't shake loose from said addiction. I met up with our old dealer Ken. He knew I needed money, so he "Hired" me to run his street deals. Except it got so bad one time I didn't sell the product for him, I stole it. " She looked towards Jay but couldn't meet his eyes. She continued "He found me , I didn't think… I was extremely messed up. He came and forced his way into my house, demanding his product back. When I told him I had taken it, he got… we will use the words extremely angry. " She let go of Jays hand and raised her shirt to show Jay the ugly scar she had on her chest. "This? Is a thank you present from him."

Jay gasped "He did that to you? Stabbed you?? Kat my god you should be dead!"

She lowered her shirt and nodded her head. "I know."

"Why didn't you tell Hank? He could have stopped this guy a long time ago!" he could hear his voice raising. He tried to take a breath and calm down but this girl had been through too much. It was eating at him.

"I tried. I tried calling him multiple times over the last few years, I just couldn't do it. I knew he would be disappointed in me. What if he turned me away ? I couldn't handle losing him, I already lost Camille." Tears started to fall on her cheeks. "Jay I should just go back to Wisconsin. I should have never come back to Chicago. I disrupted his life, Antonio's… I should just go." She stood and started to walk out the door when Jay grabbed her hand and stood in front of her, his blue eyes staring into hers.

"Kat listen. Antonio is an idiot. I love the guy but if he can't see how great you are that's his loss. There would be a line around the block of guys that would be ecstatic to date you, myself included. Besides, you can't leave, you promised to be my date to Will and Nats wedding in a few weeks." He flashed a grin at her "Don't make me go alone, I'll look sad, like I can't find a date. " He reached up and wiped the tears off her cheeks, the pad of his thumb gently running across them.

His teasing worked. "Okay Jay, I'll stay." She smiled and for a split second she thought he was going to kiss her. That was until the door of the office swung open and Hank filled the door frame. The two jumped apart like they were caught red handed, even though they weren't doing anything wrong.

"Hank. " They said at the same time. "You're back."

"It is my office. Jay don't you have work to do? I need to talk to Katherin."

He dropped her hands and nodded at Hank, catching her eyes one last time before leaving the office and shutting the door behind him.

Hank came in and sat down behind his desk. Kat could tell he was still mad, but some if the anger had disappeared. She sat down across from him, ready for the firing squad. Instead he just said "Take me through everything . "

Bullpen

Jay came out of the office and immediately was approached by most of the team.

"So what's the real story. She tell you?" Adam hadn't trusted her completely since she walked in. He could sense something was wrong, but just didn't know what.

"Yeah, and it's her story to tell. But I'll say this, we HAVE to get this guy. Bottom line, he's a bad dude. The sooner he's off the streets the better. Oh, Tonio, can I talk to you for a second?"

Antonio had keeping his head down, checking the plate number and running through databases to find a current picture of this Kenneth Bowman. He knew Jay had been in the office with Kat, but he couldn't imagine what had been talked about . He nodded and they walked to the break room.

Jay started "Antonio , get your head out of your ass." The two men had been friends for a long time, and Jay wasn't beating around the bush. "This girl is a rockstar. She's been through more shit than you and so combined. She likes you. I know you made a move the other night at Molly's, so why are you freezing her out now?"

"She doesn't need me. She's got plenty of other people to lean on. Besides, I got distracted because of her, and she got shot in the process. I'm not doing anyone any good if she is with me. So, you want her? Go for it." Antonio was the elder of the two, and didn't feel like being reprimanded by someone younger. "I have a job to do." And he began to walk off.

"Tonio." Jay called out to him, but it was too late. He walked back and sat at his desk, not meeting anyone else's eyes.

Jay shook his head. Fine, if that's how he wanted it. Jay wasn't about to let Kat go through everything by herself. If Antonio wanted to play the stubborn ass, then Jay was happy to change spots with him and be there for Kat.

In Hanks office Kat had finally explained everything to him. How she had been away, where she was, when she got back and how sorry she was for not telling him sooner. He stood up and pulled her into a warm hug. He could feel her hesitate, but then she relaxed. They pulled apart and he kissed her forehead. "My team will get this guy. I promise you that. "

She knew he was right. The man could scare the worst criminals, she had no doubt that he would get the man that had been terrorizing her for so many years. She regretted not being open and honest when she first got to the district. Hank acted like he understood, but she was mad at herself for letting it go on this long . She vowed to do anything she could to find the guy.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N:warning long Chapter ahead!! a little fluffy... enjoy!

Chapter 8

2 weeks later

Over the next two weeks things were at a stand still. They tracked the plates and they came back stolen, as did the SUV. The cameras outside Molly's didn't catch anything that Antonio hadn't already stated in his report. The team was ready for a break. Will and Nats wedding was the perfect opportunity to get out of their own heads and let loose. Basically all of Firehouse 51, as well as the Intelligence unit and most of the hospital would be attending. This was going to be an epic party.

Kat stepped out into the living room, and Hanks eyes teared up. She looked beautiful. He wished Camille could see her. Dressed in a dark blue floor length dress, with a deep V front and open back, Kat felt empowered. Her burn from the fire and the bullet wound were both almost healed. Neither could be seen unless you really looked for them. She usually wouldn't go with something this daring, but tonight she was ready to live it up a bit. Jay had let her know since he was best man, he would have to be at the church early, so she expected him around noon. When the door bell rang at 11:45 she smiled. She opened the door to find not who she was expecting .

"Antonio? What are you doing here?" he wasn't dressed for the wedding.

Antonio could barely put together a sentence after looking at her. The blue made her eyes pop, and the dress had a slit that ran most of the length of her leg, stopping at her upper thigh. Antonio's mind flashed to what quick work he could make of the dress, before he heard Hanks voice call out to him.

"He's here for me. Come on in, grab a drink."

Antonio shrugged past Kat. "You look great." And followed Hank into his study.

Kat just shook her head. He hasn't talked to her in 2 weeks, and those were the words he chose ? She turned back around to shut the door when she saw Jay walking up. His eyes widened and a grin spread across his face.

"Damn girl. You are breathtaking. You might just steal Nats thunder…"

A look of fear washed over her face. "Should I change ? I can change..." She started to head towards her room when Jay grabbed her by the arm and stopped her.

"No way. Every single guy is going to be jealous of me, and I can't wait. Truly, you look amazing. You ready ? " He held out his arm.

"Let me tell Hank, and we can go. " her face tinged pink from the compliment he gave her. "By the way you don't look half bad yourself Mr Best Man." She gave him a wink. "I'll be right back." She made her way down the hall to the study, knocking once and then entering . She found Hank and Antonio looking at something on the computer at the desk. They quickly stood when she entered. "Jays here. I'm headed out but I'll see you later right?" Hank had been invited as a courtesy she knew, but he never said if he would be attending .

"Naw baby girl. I'm going to sit this one out. But have fun." He gave her a half smile.

"Okay." She turned to Antonio. "You coming?"

He nodded "Yeah, I'll be there later. Got some things to take care of first."

She gave him a slight nod and left .

When she returned to Jay he had her wrap already waiting for her. He placed it around her shoulders, and offered her his arm again. This time she took it and they headed out.

When they arrived at the venue the first person they ran into was Will. He seemed frazzled. Jay tried to talk to him, but he wasn't having it. He was pacing , nervous. Kat took it upon herself as friend of both bride and groom to try and smooth things over.

She placed a hand on Wills arm, making him look at her. "Hey there groom, how you feeling?"

"What if I screw this up? Things haven't always been good between us, what if I really get things wrong this time?" Will was spiraling. She had seen people having panic attacks before, but never this severe. Jay looked at her , not knowing what to do for his brother .

"Will, you are going to do amazing. Listen, I may not be an expert on, well anything . But I know you and Nat are made for each other. You will make mistakes, you're human. But you'll get through it together. That's the most important thing, to be there for each other." She patted his hand just like he did for her when she was in the hospital, a friendly mothering type of gesture. "I know you guys, and you will be great."

He looked at her , eyes wet. "Jay, make sure she sticks around okay? She's a keeper." He leaned down and gave her a tight squeeze, then wandered off to his room to get ready.

Jay turned Kat around and stared down at her. "He's right, that was a pretty great pep talk you just gave him. Where did you come up with that?"

"Camille. She was an amazing mom, and at that moment I felt like he needed a mother." She shrugged. "It wasn't anything special."

Jay shook his head "That's where you're wrong. It was very special." His blue eyes stared into hers. "You are something Katherin Bend." He leaned down and kissed her softly. She brought her hands up and interlocked her fingers behind his neck, pulling him closer to her. He grinned and kissed her again, this time with more intensity. Before it could go too far, they heard a coughing noise come from behind them. When they broke apart they saw Nat standing there.

"I am SO sorry to interrupt but can I borrow her for a sec?" she ran over and grabbed Kats hand, dragging her off before either of them got to answer.

"Woah, Nat what is going on?"

Nat started to ramble, about the same as Will had earlier. "I don't know if I should be doing this. What if we aren't right for each other? What if work gets in the way ? It has before … what if Will and Owen don't get along.? What if…"

Kat interrupted her "Nat. First off that last bit is ridiculous . Your son loves Will, I've seen that with my own eyes. And I'll tell you the same thing I told Will not 5 minutes ago. You guys are made for each other. You will make mistakes, you are human. But you'll get through it together . I am SO unbelievably proud to have you as my friends. You are both amazing people , and I'm glad to be here, witnessing your union! Now, don't you need to get dressed ?" she grinned and playfully shooed Nat back towards her room.

"Yes, but…you and Jay? When did that happen ?"

Kat laughed "About 1 minute ago! Now, if you don't mind I'd like to get back to it."

Nat grabbed her and hugged her tight. "I can't thank you enough. Please say you'll come hang out with us in the bridal room, I want your help."

"Sure, I'll be there in a few minutes . " Kat smiled brightly at the previously frantic woman, who ran off to start getting ready. She shook her head and laughed to herself, then went back to find Jay.

When she turned the corner she saw him, standing and talking to some of the other groomsmen . Doctors from the hospital she guessed , she recognized Connor Rhodes , the doctor that treated her for the gunshot wound, but didn't recognize the others . She walked up to the group , smiling. Jay turned around and grinned at her, taking her hand in his.

"Crisis adverted?" he asked , leaning down and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

She nodded "Yes, I think both the bride and groom have sufficiently freaked out and are now going to be fine."

"That's my girl. Kat you know Connor." Jay pointed at the brown haired doctor who nodded at her. "But these are Wills other groomsmen. Doctor Ethan Choi, and Doctor Daniel Charles. " both shook her hand when introduced . "Guys this is Katherin Bend. She basically just saved the wedding. HEY!" he laughed as she playfully smacked him on the arm.

"Stop that, I did no such thing. I just talked them down that's all. Anyone could have done it. It's nice to meet you both, and nice to see you again Dr. Rhodes. Mind if I borrow him for a moment?" The group shook their heads and Kat pulled Jay away from the group.

"What's up?"

"Nat wanted me to hang out with them in the bridal suite. Think you can manage without me for a bit?" she nudged him and they both laughed .

"I'll try. I should probably be with Will anyway. Although…." He got up close to her and leaned down "I would much rather be spending time with you, somewhere away from all these people." He kissed her, their lips barely touching . He knew if he did anything more the intensity would be too much and he would never let her go. "Come find me before the wedding , I'll bring you to your seat."

Kats face turned a deep red and she nodded, walking off to the bridal suite. Jay watched her go, silently thanking Antonio for being so stubborn. His loss was Jays gain, and he definitely wasn't complaining . He heard someone walk up beside him.

"So, you're a thing now?"

Jay turned around and grinned. "Hey Antonio. Yeah, I guess we are." He tried not to be braggy, but he couldn't help it. "I told you not to be stubborn. You lost out on a great girl, and you only have yourself to blame." He patted Antonio on the back and walked off to join the other groomsmen.

Antonio wanted to hit something . Jay was right, he couldn't be mad at anyone but himself . After Kat got shot he had gone into a spiral of blame and self loathing . He did what he thought was right, pushing her away when in reality he should have held on to her for dear life. She was the first woman he could see something real with in a very long time, and he royally screwed it up. The wedding wasn't for a few hours, so Antonio decided to go work off some of his anger at the gym.

Bridal suite

Kat knocked on the door and then opened it a bit to peek in. "Hey, everyone decent?"

"Hey Kat come on in! I'm back here!" she heard Nats disembodied voice coming from inside the room. Kat smiled and shut the door behind her, walking into the room. She found three women sitting on chairs , all smiling at her.

"Kat, you know Kim right?" Nat was yelling from another room. Kat laughed and gave the woman a hug. "Yes, hi Kim nice to see you again. "

"You too! You look fantastic. How's the injury healing?" Kim Burgess immediately filled the mom role of the group, even though she wasn't a mom.

"Nicely thank you. You guys look wonderful!" Kat sat down on one of the chairs that was empty.

Nat walked out in her dress, and all the women gasped. "Kat these are my other bridesmaids, April and Maggie. I work with them at the hospital."

"Nice to meet you both." The women shook hands . "Can I just take a second and say damn Nat! You look… I can't even come up with a good word!" all the other women agreed . "That dress is gorgeous! You are going to knock Wills socks off!"

Nat made a gesture as if to say "oh whatever." And grabbed Kats hand. "I need you to do me a HUGE favor."

Kat looked at the other women who just smiled and shrugged at her. "Um, okay… what?"

"Our singer is sick. I need you to sing our wedding song. Please, PLEASE. " She held her hands in front of her as if she was praying . "I will owe you everything. It's not hard, I've got the music right here. You can practice with the pianist. It would mean so much to Will and I for you to do this." She gave Kat a pleading look and Kat couldn't turn her down.

"Well, because it's you two… I suppose. " She squealed when Nat grabbed her and hugged her tight .

"Thank you. Thank you. THANK YOU!!" Nat rushed off to finish getting ready and Kat left with music in hand to find the accompanist. She checked the music and breathed a sigh of relief, at least it was something she had sung before. She went into the nave of the church and sat down at the piano, plucking out notes , not seeing Jay standing in the doorway watching .

 _At last my love has come along_

 _My lonely days are over and life is like a song, oh yeah_

 _At last the skies above are blue_

 _My heart was wrapped up clover the night I looked at you_

She hadn't sung in front of people in a very long time, and she could tell the nerves were starting to build. That was until she heard a noise coming from the doorway and she glanced over to see Jay. She felt her face turn red . "How long have you been standing there?"

He walked over to her slowly. "Long enough to find out you have a hidden talent. That was beautiful Kat." He stood in front of her at the piano. "Nat asked you to sing?"

She nodded and looked down at the keys. "Their wedding singer got sick apparently. She asked for a favor, and I couldn't tell her no."

"Well don't stop on my account." He grinned at her "Please, continue."

She took a breath and finished the song.

 _I found a dream, that I could speak to_

 _A dream that I can call my own_

 _I found a thrill to press my cheek to_

 _A thrill that I have never known_

 _Oh yeah yeah_

 _You smiled, you smiled_

 _Oh and then the spell was cast_

 _And here we are in heaven_

 _For you are mine..._

 _At Last_

Jay pulled her up off the piano bench and wrapped his arms around her waist. "You are truly something special Kat." He leaned down and placed his lips over hers, hesitating only for a moment before leaning in and completely capturing her mouth with his. They were breathless when they pulled apart. Jay knew if he didn't slow things down they wouldn't make it to the wedding, so he pulled her close and kissed her forehead, trying to even his breathing. "I'm glad you made your way into my life. I'm just sorry for the circumstances. "

She squeezed his torso, laying her head against his chest. "I'm not. Yeah it sucked, the fire, the shooting. But if they hadn't happened I would have never met any of you all. I'm the luckiest girl in the world." She pulled away from him and stared into his eyes. "Thank you for being so amazing Jay Halstead. I'm truly honored to call you my friend." She could feel a tear trying to work it's way loose.

He sensed it and pulled her close again . "Maybe we can work on calling each other something besides friends ?" he could feel her giggle and smiled to himself. "I gotta get back to Will, the guests should be here soon. You good?" he moved so he could see her face.

She nodded "I'll be fine. Go, head back to that nervous brother of yours." She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss. "I'll see you later."

He didn't want to let her go. Jay was surprised how hard he fell for her in such a short period of time. He almost felt bad for Antonio , knowing how badly he screwed up , but then thought better about it. No, this woman was supposed to be in his life. He would make sure she stayed there. He finally let go and walked away, fighting the urge to sweep her off her feet and take her home, skipping the whole wedding all together .

The wedding guests filed in shortly after. She made her rounds, trying to keep her mind off what was about to happen. The music started and she began her song, looking out into the congregation. She fought back tears when she saw Hank sneak in at the last moment. She tried to ignore the surprised looks on the guests faces, and sang out above their heads. She spied Jay walk up the aisle with Kim, and he gave her a big smile. She finished her song and went to her spot in the pew when the bridal March started.

Kat stopped fighting the tears when she saw Natalie walk up the aisle. The woman was breathtaking, She hoped some day she would be that woman, walking up the aisle , looking at the man she would spend the rest of her life with. She stole a glance at Jay, and locked eyes with him. Red faced she ducked her head, wondering what he was thinking .

The ceremony was beautiful . There wasn't a dry eye in the church when the couple was done exchanging their vows. Kat stayed behind after the congregation filed out, sitting alone with her thoughts. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Antonio standing there.

Wiping tears away she nodded at him. "I didn't see you come in." She didn't mean to be short with him, but she was tired of hiding her disappointment in how he treated her.

His eyes were sad. "Can we talk?" He knew he screwed up, and before she was gone out of his grasp completely he wanted to clear the air.

"Sure, but not here. I'll call you." She stood, trying to keep her emotions in check. She headed to the back of the church, running into Jay in the process.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her close , leaning down to whisper in her ear. "You sounded amazing Kat. Will and Nat can't stop talking about it. Herrmann said something about hiring you at Molly's." He pulled back and saw the sad look in her eyes, then caught Antonio's eye. "Did he say something to you ? I can go talk to him if you want." Jay fell into the protective role pretty easily.

Kat shook her head and put her hands on either side of his face, turning it to look at her. "Nope. Let's go enjoy ourselves . I'm ready for a drink, how about you?" she smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. He nodded and smiled back at her, leading her off to the reception.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The reception hall was gorgeous, decorated with candles and crystals, rainbows shown all around the room. Jay had to sit at the head table, but kept an eye on Kat from there making her promise that she save multiple dances for him , which she gladly agreed to. Kat sat at the Intelligence table, making small talk with the team when she saw Hank walk up. He looked like he wanted to talk so she excused herself and walked over to him.

"You came. " she smiled brightly at him.

He nodded "I'm glad I did. That was a surprise seeing you up there… Camille would have been proud. " Kat had many nights where she couldn't sleep, being in a strange house and around strange people, so they got a piano for her to practice and sing along to. Nothing too extravagant, but something she could distract herself with when she couldn't sleep, or was stressed. When she left she vowed to Hank and Camille she would continue practicing, so Hank was happy to see she had.

"Yeah it was a surprise to me too. Nat said their singer had to cancel due to illness and begged me to do it." She shrugged "I couldn't really refuse the bride could I?"

"Not unless you wanted a fight on your hands. " He grinned at her. "You sounded wonderful baby girl. Did Antonio find you?"

Kat gave him a sideways glance. "Yes…he asked if we could talk, and I told him I would call him later. Why?"

Hank shrugged in a very non Hank manner. "Just curious." He bent down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'm heading out, I'll see you tonight." And with that he walked away.

Kat shook her head . That man would never cease to confuse her, even after all these years. She turned around and ran straight into Christopher Herrmann and Stella Kidd . After a conversation that included the two of them begging her to sing at the bar, and her giving up and agreeing she grabbed a glass of champagne and made her way around the room. She saw Jay, deep in conversation with his brother and Nat, so she sat down at the nearest table , alone in her thoughts. She looked out at the crowd of people , smiling to herself. Will and Nat were lucky to have this many wonderful people supporting them. She probably should feel sad the way she met them all, but she didn't, she felt blessed. She took a sip of champagne and caught a glimpse of someone staring at her from the doorway of the room. Kat gave an audible gasp and dropped the glass in her hand, causing it to hit the floor and shatter. The noise caused the people closest to her to glance her way, and Matt Casey immediately checked on her.

"Hey Kat, you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost." When she didn't respond to him, and he grew concerned. He flagged Jay down from the head table and waved him over .

Kat started to panic. Matt's voice didn't even register to her, all she saw was the face of the man that had been tormenting her for the last few months. She would never forget the anger on his face when she told him she didn't have his drugs or money all those years ago, or the pain she felt as he dug the knife into her chest. Subconsciously she touched the spot where the scar remained, and jumped when she felt an arm on hers. Turning she looked up into Jays eyes and grabbed his arm. "Jay he was here! He was just here I saw him!"

Jay tried to follow what she was saying . "Who was here? Kat you need to breathe you're having a panic attack."

She shrugged him off and started towards the last spot she saw Kenneth Bowman. "Ken. He was just right here Jay." She tried to take slow breaths, but it wasn't helping. She ran out to the hallway, checking left then right to see if he was still there. Jay followed close behind her. If this guy had followed her here, there was no telling where she would be safe.

"Stay here. I'll check the area. " He gestured towards the doorway she had just walked through. "Don't move Kat I mean it. " He squeezed her hand and took off down the hallway.

Kat leaned against the doorframe, attempting to calm down. How? How was he here? The place was filled with cops that had attended the wedding, so he had grown bold. It dawned on Kat she should let the rest of intelligence know what was going on so Jay wasn't alone, when they all filed out into the hall.

"Casey told us what happened, which way did Jay go?" Adam voiced the question but the others were right there as well . She pointed down the hall and the team split up, Adam and Kevin going one way, Hailey and Kim going the other . They were all dressed in wedding attire, so none of them that their service weapons with them , but they started their sweep nonetheless.

Kat watched them go. She felt a presence next to her and saw Antonio standing there. "It's okay. " Is all he got out before she fell into his arms sobbing . He rubbed her back and let her cry into his shoulder until she had no more tears left. When she pulled away he stood next to her, holding her hand. "If he is still here, they'll find him. Why don't I call Voight –"

"NO." She shook her head emphatically . "He will never let me out of the house again if he knows. Please, just…" she didn't know how to finish the sentence . She couldn't go the house, Hank would know immediately something was wrong.

Antonio nodded "I'll take you to my place."

She gratefully accepted.

Antonio had called Jay as they were leaving letting him know he had taken Kat and would keep her safe until he was able to come and check on her. He stole a glance sideways at her and his heart broke a little seeing the terrified look on her face. He wanted desperately to hold her hand, tell her it would be alright but he didn't want to mislead her. Antonio knew eventually they would catch this creep, but to brush off her fear as if it wasn't necessary was something he just wouldn't do. They reached the house and went inside, with Antonio keeping a close eye on the surroundings. Jay had let him know they hadn't found Ken at the venue.

Antonio steered Kat through the front entryway with his hand at the small of her back. He could feel her body trembling, and knew she was still reeling from the shock of seeing the man's face who had been tormenting her. He gently led her to the couch and made her sit, as he sat next to her. "Kat, Jay said they checked the entire church and reception area, and didn't see him anywhere. I have to ask, are you sure –" he stopped when she glared at him.

"Yes, I'm sure I saw him Antonio. I see his face in my nightmares , I know it was him." She bit her bottom lip, realizing she snapped at him and he was only doing his job. "I'm sorry , I know you have to ask. Jay didn't tell you the whole history did he?" Antonio shook his head so she explained the story. When she got to the part about the stabbing , Antonio's face turned to stone , and his eyes flashed dark with anger. He jumped up and started pacing in front of her.

"We WILL get this guy, if it's the last thing I do. I promise you Kat." He stopped pacing and knelt down in front of her, taking her hands in his. "Does Voight know?"

Kat shook her head rapidly back and forth, indicating he didn't, not that part at least. She loved her father figure, but she also knew when he was angry he could make rash and sometimes ill advised decisions. She didn't want him tanking his career over this scumbag, so she asked to keep it between just them and Jay, and Antonio reluctantly agreed. Antonio went back to his previous spot next to her, placing an arm around her shoulder. She leaned her head against him, finally able to calm down . They sat like that for a good amount of time, in comfortable silence, his thumb absentmindedly making circles on her shoulder, causing her to sigh every once in awhile in appreciation. When they heard his phone buzz it startled them, and Kat jumped a bit. Antonio kept his arm around her and answered with his free hand.

"Dawson. She's right here." He handed her the phone. She grabbed it and placed it to her ear , never leaving Antonio's side.

"Hello? Hi Jay, yes I'm okay. Antonio took me to his place… did you find anything ? Okay, I understand. I'll just stay here until you are done. No it's okay, I promise I feel a lot better already. Yes, see you later." She pressed end and handed the phone back . "He had to go back to the reception." She leaned her head back and looked into Antonio's eyes. "Can I stay with you for awhile?" she asked, even though she had basically invited herself already.

"Of course. " He nodded and kissed her forehead. "You can stay as long as you need or want. " She smiled at him and laid her head back down on his chest. After a short amount of time her breathing started to even out, and he smiled to himself, she had fallen asleep .

Antonio stayed in the same position for a good hour not wanting to disturb her sleeping. When she started to stir he shifted slightly , laying her down on the couch so she would be comfortable. He retreated to his bedroom to grab an extra blanket for her when he heard his phone buzz again . Checking the caller ID he saw Hanks name appear. " Hank, what's up?"

"Is Kat with you? She isn't answering her phone and neither is Halstead. Are you still at the wedding?" Antonio could hear the tenseness in his voice.

"She is Sarge. No, I have her at my house . Jay needed to stay but she was ready to leave. I figured we could talk." He latched on to the first thing that popped in his head. "I want another shot with her, and I figured we should hash things out away from prying eyes and ears. " He silently prayed Hank wouldn't see through the story .

He didn't . "I'm sorry for the way things went down between you two. I know she cares about you Antonio. I just want her to be happy. You too, you deserve it." Hank wasn't the sentimental type so for him to say that caught Antonio off guard.

"Thanks Hank, I appreciate you saying that. I'll bring her home in a little bit if that's okay?"

"Course." And with that the call ended. Antonio smiled to himself at his quick thinking, and grabbed the blanket off his bed when he heard a noise in the doorway to his room. He spun around to find Kat . "You heard that?" he said with a sheepish look on his face.

She nodded. "You want another shot huh?" she gave him a look. "And what do you expect me to say to that?"

He approached her, reaching out his hand and grabbing hers. "I did mean it Kat. I was stupid. I should have never pushed you away. I've regretted it every second of every day since I did it. I know you and Jay are… " He looked into her eyes "what are you and Jay?"

She shrugged, not really sure how to answer the question. "He's been there for me. He kissed me, and I kissed him back. But seeing it just happened today, I don't really know how to categorize it. " she looked down at their hands . "You really hurt me Antonio."

He pulled her close, and could feel her body reacting. "I know."

She shivered, partially to do with the situation she had been through , but mostly to do with the how she knew her body was betraying her. She could feel the heat rising from her toes to her head. A slow creeping heat, that Kat tried to push away. She distracted herself . "Think I could grab a shower and change out of this dress?" she had long abandoned the heels she had on, and her hair had started to fall from its original up state. She pulled the remaining bobby pins out and shook her head, causing it to fall in waves around her face.

Antonio brushed a strand back and tucked it behind her ear. "Of course. Towels are in the bathroom, I've got extra sweats in my drawer. Help yourself." At that moment both their stomachs rumbled loudly, causing them to laugh. "I guess we took off before dinner was served. I'll make something, you take your time. " He turned to leave her alone when she stopped him.

"Can you?" she pointed to her back, indicating she needed him to unzip her. She pulled her hair away from the nape of her neck, allowing him access. He swallowed hard, telling himself this didn't mean anything . As Antonio pulled the zipper down, his fingers brushed her bare skin, and he almost pulled away at the heat he felt. Instead he continued to pull it down , till his fingers reached the dip in her lower back, right above her tailbone . He paused, then decided to take the chance. He stepped up close, until their bodies were almost touching , and ran his fingers over her now bare shoulders. Leaning in, he placed his lips on the back of her neck. He could hear her breathing quicken, but she didn't stop him. He took it as a sign to continue, so he placed another kiss on her shoulder, first left then right. He turned her around and locked eyes with her. They danced, the blue leaned more to grey when she got turned on, and he enjoyed knowing what he was doing to her.

Kat let go of the dress she has been holding up, letting it fall to the floor in a puddle. She grabbed Antonio by the shirt, and pulled him close. That motion was all it took for Antonio. He leaned in completely capturing her mouth with his. Their tongues danced with one another until the pair broke apart completely out of breath . Antonio stepped back and took a good look at the woman in front of him. She had worn a black strapless lace bra and panties under her dress, which were now on full display to him. He could see the scars from her injuries, but they were barely noticeable if someone didn't know they were there. She straightened and took a step back. She could feel the heat rising in her again under his gaze.

"I should get that shower." She said, suddenly very aware of how undressed she was, and how quick the situation could turn.

"Of course. " Antonio wasn't shocked by her sudden change in demeanor, he chalked it up to her being nervous. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and walked out to the kitchen to start dinner for them.

Kat grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a tank top out of his drawer, and headed to the shower. She turned the water on full blast, checking the temperature before stripping and jumping in. She stood under the stream of water, letting it fall down around her, and she got lost in her thoughts. Kat didn't want to be unfair to Jay, he had been really great to her over the last couple of weeks and she liked him a lot. But Antonio… she moaned softly thinking about his mouth on hers. She stood under the water for a good 20 minutes before she heard a faint knock . "Just a second!" she turned off the water and grabbed a towel off the shelf next to the tub, wrapping it around her and opened the door.

Antonio immediately regretting knocking. When she opened he could see her bare skin, slightly pink from the hot water . She had wrapped a towel around her, but it stopped mid thigh, so his mind went into overdrive. He wanted to pull the towel off of her, carry her to his bed and make love until they both couldn't move. What he did instead was divert his eyes, looking into her face instead of scanning over her body, and let her know dinner was almost ready. He retreated quickly back to the kitchen to leave her alone to get dressed.

Antonio was pulling French bread out of the oven when she walked in to the kitchen. The pants Kat chose hung low on her hips so she folded the top over a few times to try and make them fit better. Antonio smiled and quickly looked away when she walked up next to him. "Can I help with anything?"

He bit his tongue, not replying with what he wanted to say. Instead he just shook his head. "It's all done. Nothing too fancy, just pasta and French bread. Hope that's okay?" he got his answer when her stomach rumbled loudly again. "Can I get you something to drink? Wine?"

Kat nodded "Yes thank you. " She sat down at the table , and he poured them both a glass, sitting down across from her. They ate, keeping their conversation light. After dinner Kat made Antonio sit while she cleaned the kitchen . "It's only fair you cooked, I clean. " He didn't argue with her, and sat and watched her work while they continued to talk.

Back at the reception Jay couldn't concentrate . He felt bad that his mind was elsewhere when he should be focusing on his best man duties. Will and Nat had noticed Kats disappearance, but didn't probe for details, which Jay appreciated. He knew Kat was fine , Antonio had called and let him know she was with him. Plus he had talked to Kat herself, but that made Jay worry almost more . He knew Antonio regretted his decision to pull away from Kat, now that they were alone together would she decide to give him another shot? Jay decided, as much as it sucked , that he would back off and let the two of them figure things out. That didn't mean he didn't care, that couldn't be farther from the truth, but he needed to be her friend now , and nothing else. He grabbed a drink from the bar and made his way to the dance floor to enjoy the rest of the wedding reception.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Antonio and Kat spent most of the rest of the night talking. Sitting on the couch they took turns telling something about themselves . Kat explained how she got into singing and baking, and Antonio told her about boxing and his kids. They talked about Wisconsin, and how she had loved it there. When Kat stifled a yawn Antonio realized how late it was and that Jay never called.

"You wanna stay here tonight?" Kat raised her eyebrow at him, causing Antonio to raise his hands. "It's 2 am, and we've been drinking . You are more than welcome to the bed, I'll crash on the couch. "

She gave him a look and smiled "Yes. That sounds great. You better call Hank though, unless you want him busting down your door when he realized I never came home. " She laughed but Antonio believed he would do it. "Oh my gosh I was kidding!" she laughed harder at the face he was making.

"Yeah well…" he grinned back at her "I have seen his temper, so I'll pass on getting on his bad side."

"I don't want to kick you out of your bed. Why don't you just sleep in it too?" she blushed when he gave her a sideways glance, realizing how what she said sounded. "Sleep." She reiterated .

He nodded and picked up his phone to call Hank, while she went to the bedroom. Hank answered after a half of ring, meaning he was waiting on the call. The man barely slept as it was, so Antonio didn't figure he would wake him up.

"Hank, it's Antonio. Kat and I got caught up talking , and we've been drinking so I asked her if she just wanted to spend the night and she said yes." He was nervous, and felt like he was talking to his girlfriend's dad for the first time, not his boss. "She's taking the bed, I'll be on the couch. " There really was no need for Hank to know their sleeping arrangements , it wasn't his business but Antonio still felt the need to mention it.

"Bring her to the district first thing in the morning." Was the only response he got. When the phone disconnected Antonio stared at it for a second, then shook his head and put it away.

By the time he made it to the bedroom Kat was sitting on the bed waiting for him. "Which side?" he looked at her questioningly. "I don't want to take your normal spot, so which side do you sleep on?" she pointed "Left or right?"

"Oh, neither. Usually I find myself in the middle." He shrugged . "Habit of sleeping alone for so long."

Kat smiled "Middle it is. " She got under the covers on one side while Antonio did the same in the opposite, and they met in the middle of the bed. He wrapped his arm around her, while she laid her head on his chest. She sighed as she felt his fingers drawing circles on her bare skin. He didn't make any advances, much to his own surprise. She propped herself up on an elbow and looked into his dark eyes. "Thank you Antonio, for everything." She leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on the mouth, pulling back before it could go too far. She laid her head back on his chest and heard him say "My pleasure." Closing her eyes, she quickly drifted off to sleep, lulled by his even breathing.

The next morning Kat rolled over and stretched out to find an empty bed. It took her a moment to remember where she was. The wedding… She sang. Jay kissed her. She saw Ken , and Antonio took her home. Antonio! She sat up in bed with a jolt. She had slept with Antonio. She checked under the covers and realized she was fully clothed… so they really did just sleep together. She caught a whiff of food so she went to the bathroom to wash up and made her way to the kitchen.

"Morning- coffee?" Antonio was shirtless, standing in his kitchen making her breakfast. Kat figured she was dreaming . She gave herself a quick pinch and realized she was wide awake.

"Mmm yes please. Did we drink the entire bottle of wine last night?" she pinched the bridge of her nose indicating a headache had formed.

"Yeah" Antonio smirked "Well, you did. I had one glass." He handed her the coffee cup and two aspirin. "Take these. I'm making bacon and eggs, and then I need to get you to the district."

She swallowed the pills and took a sip of coffee, letting out a tiny moan as it hit her tongue. "Let me guess, under Hanks orders? "

He nodded and pushed a plate in front of her. "Eat up, he will have my ass if I don't get you there ASAP." They smiled at each other and began eating .

Hank checked his watch for the fifth time in 30 seconds, thinking he should have made Antonio bring Kat home when he called, when they walked in. He leaned against the doorway to his office and watched the pair ascend the stairs, smiling at each other. The rest of the team was already there , and surrounded them when they walked in.

"You sounded great at the wedding darlin. " Adam gave her a tight squeeze, as the others agreed.

"We missed you guys at the reception!" Kim announced, causing the two of them to glance at each other and smile.

"Listen up. This guy showed his face at a family event. He's too bold, and he will make a mistake. I want any video from the church. Where's Jay?" The niceties would have to wait. Hank was ready for this guy to be caught yesterday.

"Uh, Sarge I don't think he'll be in." Announced Hailey. The group gave each other looks.

"Call him. It's all hands on deck. Katie, my office. Now." Hank went into his office and waited for her.

Kat sighed. That wasn't the man she remembered . Quick and to the point, gruff voice and hard exterior, he had only been that way to her when she and Erin first met him. After that he softened, became the father she always wanted and needed . She exchanged looks with Antonio and headed off to his office. "Door open or closed?" she asked when she got there.

"Always assume closed. " He replied, so she shut the door and sat down. "Did you and Antonio sleep together ?" he got to the point immediately .

Kat was shocked for a second then realized she hadn't really been around Hank in quite a few years. His tolerance for bull shit was never high, so she figured he had just gotten more blunt with age. She nodded slightly but explained. " I am an adult and you don't have the right to ask me that question. But " She kept going cutting off what he was about to say "Because I love you, and I know you are just looking out for me I'll answer. We did. Sleep. That was it. " she didn't expand past that. "Now, I'm going to ask you as nicely as I can, don't punish Antonio for this. I asked him to stay with me. He offered to sleep on the couch in his own house, and I wouldn't allow it." She held her head high, looking him square in the eyes.

Not a lot of people would be able to do that. Hank Voight was scary to say the least, and he was used to criminals cowering from his stare. Not Katie. She wasn't afraid of him, and he was proud of that fact. He gave her a small un Hank like grin and stood up, grabbing her and pulling her into a tight hug. "Baby girl I just want you to be happy. That's all." The kissed the side of her head and continued to hug her.

She started to tear up at his sentiment. "I am dad. I promise." She pulled back and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Now, am I allowed to go back to work? I really need to get back to business. "

He shook his head "I don't feel comfortable with you being at the bakery alone. I'll assign a detail, how's that ?"

She rolled her eyes but agreed. When they emerged from the office Jay had joined the group waiting for their assignments . He looked like death warmed over, and Kat felt horrible for him. "Katie will be going back to work today. I want two man shifts watching her all day. I don't care who does it in what order , but she is never to be alone got it?" Hanks gruff boss voice was back.

Kevin and Kim both raised their hands "We can go first sarge. " Kevin spoke up and Hank nodded at them.

"The rest of you I want a run down of every person Kenneth Bowman has had contact with over the last 5 years. Where has he been , what has he been eating for breakfast. This guy should have been in the cage already, so let's make sure he gets there soon. " and with that the team dispersed to do their jobs. Antonio hung back for a moment to talk to Kat.

Kevin and Kim said they would meet her downstairs so Antonio and Kat slipped into the break room. "Well, do I still have a job?" Antonio joked.

"Of course!" Kat laughed and smacked him playfully on the shoulder. "I did have to tell him we slept together, he came right out and asked. But I told him the truth, we just slept. And it was my suggestion, not yours. So I think you should be safe… although with him there's no telling. " She gave him a quick kiss, which he responded to with a deeper one. When they broke apart they were both smiling. "I should go… I'll see you later ?"

"Definitely." He leaned in and kissed her forehead, then turned around and walked back to his desk, while she walked downstairs to the car.

Jay looked absolutely green sitting at his desk. Antonio felt sorry for him. He probably was hung over from the wedding, so he grabbed a bottle of water and aspirin for him. "Jay." He said quietly, figuring the man had a hell of a headache. He held out the items towards Jay, waiting for a response.

Jay looked up at him , his eyes bloodshot. "Thanks man." He grabbed the aspirin and water chugging it down . "So you guys had a good night huh?" he felt like crap but that didn't mean he wasn't slightly annoyed with Antonio for doing exactly what he figured he would.

"Not like that bro." Not that he needed to give Jay any sort of explanation, but he did anyway. " We talked all night long."

Jay nodded slowly, his head was pounding and he could hardly see straight . He had gotten trashed at the reception , in anger and resentment towards Antonio figuring out the error he had made, and the fact that Jay had lost out on an opportunity with a really great girl, although that last part was as much his own fault as it was Antonios'. He made the decision to back off, and not call last night when he promised he would, so he was most angry at himself.

"Hey I got something!" Adam and Hailey walked up behind the two men, and Hank stepped out of his office .

At the bakery Kevin had swept the area before allowing Kat to step outside the car. When he and Kim were confident there were no strangers lurking around they trio went inside . Kevin stood near the front of the store while Kim followed Kat to the back.

"What are you making?" Kim Burgess was definitely not a baker. She could barely make frozen pizza so someone who did this for a living fascinated her.

"A few things . First off , I'm going to make another pie for the firehouse, I don't think they ever got the one I had made previously , plus I'm making cookies for the district . Hopefully everyone likes them. "

Kim grinned "That sounds amazing ! Can I help? To warn you I don't do a lot of baking…"

Kat laughed "It's okay! You can definitely help… the pie I'm going to do has a bunch of dark chocolate, so I'll need you to shave and cut off chocolate pieces for me." She handed Kim the block of chocolate and the knife "Can you handle that?" she gave her a wink.

"I hope so!" the two women laughed and got to work.

The team tracked down Ken Bowmans' last known address, and hit the house. The house was clear, but when they walked in their eyes widened. Pictures covered the walls, but the disturbing part was what they were of. Kat, before the fire at her house, outside her bakery, and some of the house on fire, meaning he was there watching his handiwork. The team jumped when they heard Hank punch the wall. "Find him, NOW. Call Atwater and Burgess and warn them to be extra cautious. Get more patrols down there." Hank barked out orders and the group scattered. Only he and Antonio stayed behind, taking photos for evidence.

"Sarge, this one is of you and her. You're a target too, he knows you guys are connected. " Antonio held out a photo of Kat and Hank in front of his house.

"Let him come after me- see where that gets him. " Hank was pissed and rightfully so. The forensics unit came and began processing the house, so Antonio and Hank left to head to the bakery.

"Pie is done…would you guys like some German chocolate cookies? They have coconut and cherries…" Kat was excited to be in the kitchen again. She packaged up the pie for the firehouse, and handed Kevin and Kim both a cookie. "Be honest now, what do you think?"

"Oh my gosh this is delicious!" Kim mumbled through her bite. "You are something girl!"

Kevin nodded in appreciation, downing his in a few seconds. He needed to concentrate on his surroundings. While Kim and Kat were doing the baking Adam had called him and let him know what they had found, and to be on the lookout. "Sarge is on his way. He said to stay put."

"Oh, I was hoping I could deliver this to the fire house today." Kat knew if Hank was coming to the bakery something must have happened. He hadn't ever been there and it made Kat sad to think the reason for his first visit was to bring bad news. She busied herself cleaning the kitchen til she heard the front door open and the entire Intelligence team file in.

"What's going on?" Kat walked back out and stood in front of the team.

"He's been surveilling you, for awhile." Hailey spoke up. "We found photos of you outside your house, here, and some of your house during the fire. "

Kat gasped "He was there? Outside the fire ,he stayed there to watch if I …" she couldn't finish the sentence. She stumbled a bit and Hank grabbed her arm and helped her sit down.

"We will get this scumbag, don't worry Katie. In the meantime you are going into protective custody. Don't argue, just pack a bag."

"Hank, please. " She pleaded "I have to work. What am I supposed to do, sit around a safe house and pray he tries something? No, I need to do my normal routine. I was going to the firehouse today to deliver their pie. I'll be safe there. I'll keep officers with me if I have to, but please don't make me go into hiding."

Hank was torn. This girl meant everything to him, and he needed to keep her safe. He looked up, silently asking his best friend for some help. Kat recognized the motion immediately.

"Al would tell you I'm right, and you know it. I will follow everything you say to the letter, just let me do this. "

He nodded. "Have units tail her every movement. Scan and search the area for anything out of place. Watch and see if she's followed." He told his team. "And you are to have one officer with you at all times, you got it?"

Kat gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Of course. "

His team nodded in agreement and Antonio took first shift. They drove to the firehouse in a comfortable silence.

When they got out of the car and started towards the firehouse, Antonio did a scan of the area, making sure no one had followed them. He didn't see any vehicles out of place, or anything strange so they made their way towards the truck bay.

"Kat!" Kelly was the first to see them coming up the driveway. "What are you doing here?" he ran out and met her with a big bear hug.

"I came delivering a pie. I promised a few weeks ago and it didn't get to you guys, so I hope you like this one." She smiled as he lead her inside.

"I figured Voight would have you locked up somewhere . I heard about what happened last night, that must have been scary." He grabbed her hand and squeezed reassuringly. "You need anything, or just want to hang out you know where to find us." He nodded at Antonio. "The guys will be thrilled you're here."

"Thanks Kelly." She grinned at him, and they walked into the common room. She was immediately surrounded by all the members of both teams and the paramedics. Antonio hung back, and went to find the Chief to talk to him about what they had found . He wanted to see if any of the house remembered seeing anyone strange around now that they knew he was there during the fire.

"Okay guys, I bring you… in the dark dark chocolate pie. Sorry it's a bit late, but I promise you'll have more frequent deliveries as soon as I'm allowed back in the bakery full time."

Everyone announced their thank yous and dug in. "So? Whatcha think?"

There was a round of applause and SO GOOD that came from the group , causing Kat to blush a deep red.

"If you keep bringing stuff this delicious we will expect it from now on!" laughed Otis. "You're spoiling us!"

Kat smiled at them. "It's the least I can do. You all saved me. You deserve a lot more than pie and cookies. Why don't I have you all be my taste testers ? New recipes come here first?"

She was met with a resounding YES from the group. At that moment the alarm went off signaling their need to leave. She watched them go , getting hugs from every single one of them as they walked by and wishing them a safe run. Soon she was left alone , so she sat down and waited for Antonio . She had seen him go into the Chiefs office , she figured it was about things she would find out about eventually, so she didn't bother them.

In the office Chief Bowden and Antonio were discussing the fire. Antonio had shown the Chief the photos they had found at the house, and requested to talk to the members of the firehouse when they returned , which the Chief was more than happy to agree to.

"Voight is concerned about Kat going anywhere alone . There will be times I know she will want to be here. Will that work for you? "

"Of course, that young lady is welcome here any time. My firefighters have taken quite a liking to her, and it's not hard to figure out why. She's pretty much the opposite of Hank Voight isn't she?" Chief Bowden had known Hank for quite a while, and his first impression of the man wasn't something he would easily forget .

"I don't know- I see a lot of him in her. She's fierce, determined, and doesn't lay down for a fight. She's also compassionate and sweet, which are two qualities my boss definitely lacks." Antonio and the Chief laughed . They heard a knock on the door and both rose.

"Come in."

The door opened a crack and Kat stuck her hand in , holding a piece of pie. "I come bearing gifts. Sorry to interrupt but figured you wanted a piece before the crew comes back and finishes the whole thing off." She smiled at the two men, and opened the door fully to bring the Chief his plate.

"Thank you, I appreciate that. I know how they are, I'm surprised there was still some left." The took the plate from her and gave her a quick hug. "Say I need to ask a favor. Would you mind sticking around and making dinner for us? I hate to ask but we are down a candidate and I can't go through another Joe Cruz special. " He glanced at Antonio who nodded slightly at him.

"Of course! I would be happy to Chief, I'll get started right away!" she grinned at the two of them and skipped off to the kitchen to start.

Antonio shook the older man's hand. "Thanks chief. I will talk to the crew when they get back. " He heard commotion coming from the truck bay indicating the fire was out and they had arrived.

Kat had started in the kitchen, prepping pasta and vegetables. When the crew came back they immediately went back for more pie.

"You cooking for us now too?" Christopher Herrmann piped up. "Thank God!"

The teams laughed and Kat just grinned. "Chief asked me and I'm happy to." She was cutting vegetables and listening to the conversations that surrounded her. She was concentrating so deeply she didn't hear Matt walk up next to her.

"Hey." He placed his hand on her arm, causing her to jump. "Sorry didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Hey Matt, I'm okay thank you. I'm so sorry about last night…"

He shook his head "Nothing for you to be sorry about, I was worried about you." He pulled her into a tender hug. When he pulled away he stood next to her "Need help?"

"You never help when I'm in the kitchen Lieutenant!" Joe Cruz spoke up.

"Well Cruz, that's because you don't look this cute in an apron." He smiled down at her and Kat felt her face flush.

"Oh I doubt that Lieutenant, I'm sure Joe looks super cute in one." She said causing the entire room to burst into laughter.

Antonio and Chief Bowden walked in. "Team listen up. There's been some further developments on Kats house fire. Detective Dawson needs to speak to you all again. Give him your undivided attention." He announced and then sat down at the table.

"So we know the culprit, his name is Kenneth Bowman. He was actually outside taking pictures of the fire after he set it." Antonio passed around the mug shot they had of him. "Did any of you see him hanging around when you got there?"

They passed around the picture , but no one remembered seeing him. "What does this mean? He's a firebug?" Kelly glanced at Kat.

"No, he actually… he and I used to be involved, back 20 years ago, and then again about 5 years ago when I moved back to Chicago." Kat sat the knife down she was using and came around to stand in front if the group. "He is a drug dealer. He already almost killed me once, now it seems he's back to try again." Her shoulders sagged. Saying it out loud made it so much more real.

The group took her news in stride. "What can we do to help?" Sylvie approached Kat and gave her a tight hug.

"Voight wants her with someone at all times." Antonio started to explain when Kat cut him off.

"Hank has requested I have an escort everywhere I go. I know that CPD doesn't have enough man power for that, and he knows I like coming here. So would it be okay with you all if I hung out more ? "

"Of course." Matt came around and put his arm around her. "Come as often and stay as long as you want. " the rest of the group nodded in agreement.

The rest of the visit went by quickly. Kat made and served dinner for the crew , and then she and Antonio were on their way, with Kat promising to be by again next shift . As they were walking out Kelly and Matt stopped Antonio. Kat waited by the car for him, it looked like they wanted to talk to the detective in private.

"Antonio , if she needs somewhere to stay, one of us will gladly put her up. " Kelly spoke up first.

Antonio shook his head . "Right now she's staying with Voight. This guy is dangerous, and has apparently been after her for quite a few years. We wouldn't endanger you guys, it's not your jobs."

Both men cut him off before he could finish his thought. "Don't give us that crap Antonio. We fight fires for a living, we know danger. Hell we live through it every day. If she needs protection and you guys don't have enough man power, we will be happy to help out." Matt voiced the statement but Kelly nodded in agreement .

"We all know Voight. I'll let him know your offers guys, and I know Kat would appreciate it. Just let me know if you think of anything else okay?" Antonio shook both men's hands before opening Kats care door and letting her in. Then he walked to the drivers side of the car, getting in and taking off.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I've had no reviews so far, and I don't know if that's a good or bad thing… I know it's been a lot of fluffy stuff , that's bc I'm trying to flesh out the actual police part of the story. I am in no way shape or form a professional when it comes to police terms, so before I come to the main part of that I want to do some research. In the meantime enjoy more fluffiness ;)

Chapter 11

Over the course of the next few weeks things went slowly . The team made little headway on tracking down Kenneth Bowman. Every potential lead they got led them to a dead end, and it caused Hank to get even more angry and sullen than he usually was. Kat followed his every order , including keeping an officer or detective with her every time she went anywhere to try and appease him. It allowed her to learn more about each team member, and they enjoyed being away from the district and Hanks yelling.

When she spent time with Kim, she learned about hers and Adams previous engagement, and how he and Hailey were together . Kim still had feelings for Adam , but wanted him to make a decision without knowing that fact. They did a typical girl day, getting pampered at a spa in town.

When she spent the day with Hailey, they went to the shooting range. Hailey wanted to teach her self defense , which Kat loved. She wasn't inexperienced when it came to a gun, usually she went shooting on her own, so it was fun to have someone there with her. They talked about her and Adam, and how things were meant to be just fun, but ended up becoming more serious.

The day she spent with Kevin, he talked to her about his siblings, and how he took care of them. She offered to watch them whenever he needed a night out. He also told her about his party business , and invited her to come out with him to one of his gigs, which she gladly accepted .

Adam's day was spent doing work. She spent the day at the bakery getting together a haul for both the firehouse and the district. She knew he was bored, he wasn't a baker either , so she passed the time asking him questions about his love life. He told her about him and Kim, and how he still loved her, but this thing with Hailey was pretty new and confusing . She looked at him like a little brother, a "replacement" for Justin.

When it came time for Jay to spend the day with her, she got nervous . He hadn't really spoken to her since the day of the wedding, so they never really got to talk over everything . Kat decided their day together would be different .

"Where to." Jay asked her in a clipped tone, getting ready to drive.

"West End Cemetery please." She didn't look at him when he glanced over at her, she kept her eyes straight ahead as he pulled away from the district and to their destination, playing with the bouquet of flowers she had in her hands.

When they got there he got out of the car and opened her door, holding out his hand to help her out. She gave him a small smile and accepted his hand, stepping out of the car. He dropped it the instant she got out, like she had burned him, which made her sad, but she understood.

"I can stay here." Jay told her "If you want to be alone I mean." He recognized the cemetery but wasn't sure why they were there.

"No, I would really like it if you came with… please ?" Kat looked at Jay , sadness in her eyes so he nodded and followed her. They stopped in front of a stone and he realized what they were doing .

Kat bent down and placed one of the flowers she had been holding onto the stone. "Al, I am so sorry I wasn't here when you and dad needed me most." She placed a hand on the stone and lowered her head "We love and miss you every day." She sat in silence for a moment before standing up and moving on.

Jay stood, looking down at the stone . He hadn't been here since the funeral, and was a little surprised she came. He bowed his head and said a silent goodbye to his friend and colleague, then followed after Kat. She stopped again after a few minutes and this time he noticed her shoulders were shaking . When he walked up next to her, he felt her slip her hand in his and they stood looking down at the stone she had stopped at. After a moment Kat bent down and laid the rest of the flowers on the ground. She sank to her knees and wished she could turn back the clock, back to when everyone she loved was okay, then she looked sideways at the stone next to where she was sitting and reached out to touch it.

Jay stepped back and let her grieve in private. She had come to say a proper goodbye to Camille and Justin , now that she knew what had happened to him, and he didn't want to get in the way of that. He scanned the cemetery making sure no one was there. When he was satisfied they were still alone he bent down and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We should go."

Kat nodded. She stood up and turned towards Jay, who gently wiped the tears off her cheeks. The anger and resentment the had felt for the past few weeks drifted away, and he wrapped his arms around Kat, allowing her to cry into his chest until she couldn't cry anymore . When she pulled back she forced herself to stop the tears. She wiped her eyes and started back towards the car. After their day together things weren't awkward between them anymore. They went on like before, as friends.

Antonio was her go to person for the firehouse. They went every few days, sometimes to deliver them baked goods, others just to hang out . Even when the crew got called to a fire, she didn't mind. She helped clean and cook for them, which they greatly appreciated, and it kept her out of harms way. The more time she and Antonio spent together, the chemistry between them grew. What she didn't know was how deeply Antonio had fallen for her. He was gun-shy, afraid to pursue anything after the last time they tried, but he knew he wouldn't be able to keep the feelings locked away for too much longer.

Her nightly rituals were the same. She and Hank would have dinner, sometimes Antonio would join , and others would be just them. They talked about when she first came to live with them, about Erin and her new job with the FBI, and how they both missed her like crazy. Hank didn't want to scare Kat, so he didn't tell her about the photo of the two of them that they found at Kenneth's house. Due to that photo, his house was watched while they were there by two patrols but Hank wasn't taking chances. He stayed in the living room at night, shotgun in his hand. Kat took the opportunity after a week with no attempts to see if he had warmed up to the idea of her going out. They had finished dinner and were sitting in the living room in a comfortable silence when she spoke up.

"Hank, it's been over a week and we haven't heard a word from him. I think it's safe to say I don't need a baby sitter anymore… wouldn't you agree ?" Hank made a grunt , not really agreeing or disagreeing so she kept going . "I was thinking of going out tonight, maybe for a few hours , to Molly's ."

With that he looked at her with the typical Voight stare, not needing to respond out loud. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Dad, you know I love spending time with you. I'm happy we are back in each others lives, it's just…" she trailed off and he finished her sentence for her.

"You want to spend time with people your own age." He smirked. "I get it baby girl. You know I'm just trying to keep you safe. "

She smiled wide at him. "I know, and I appreciate it believe me. I promise, I won't go anywhere alone. I'll have someone with me the entire time, you have my word." When she flushed he narrowed his eyes at her.

"And who would this person be exactly?" he asked the question even though he knew the answer.

"Antonio." She met his eyes and was surprised when he was smiling at her. At that moment there was a knock at the door and she wagged her finger at him. "That's him. Behave, please . I'll be right back!" And ran off down the hallway.

Hank shook his head and opened the door. "Antonio."

"Hank." He stepped inside. "Did Kat talk to you?"

"She did." He kept his answers short. "Just take care of her, okay?"

Antonio nodded. He wanted to tell Hank how much he cared about this woman, but she walked in at the exact moment he went to open his mouth. Instead of confessing his feelings, his jaw dropped at the sight of her. The thing with Kat, she didn't need to dress up or wear a lot of make up. It took her less than 5 minutes and she was ready to go. Dressed in tight jeans, knee high boots and a pale blue blouse she was a knockout in Antonio's opinion. She had let hair fell in waves and it framed her face, and he had to resist the urge to push a stray piece behind her ear. Antonio met Kats eyes and they grinned at each other. She gave Hank a kiss on the cheek. "Don't wait up." She laughed to herself knowing he still would, and she and Antonio were off.

They pulled up at the bar and he got it in his head to enjoy the night. He would have rather taken her somewhere intimate, where it could be just the two of them. If he knew anything about her he knew she was a social butterfly. Not in the Vain oh look at me sense, more like she was kind to everyone, and everyone felt at ease around her. Even though he would have much rather been alone with her, Antonio loved watching her interact with the crowd at Molly's. Everyone adored her, which was a wonderful thing to see, and it made his feelings for her even more prominent. He watched as she easily fell into conversations with every group in the room. Joking and laughing with Kim, Hailey, Sylvie and Emily , he observed the way she crinkled her nose when she smiled, and when something really made her laugh she put her whole body into it. She caught him staring a few times during the course of the evening, which made Kats face burn a bright red, but it didn't stop him from watching her. He sat at the bar, and struck up a conversation with Christopher who was serving.

"Hey Antonio! So you two official yet or what?" Christopher Herrmann was never one to beat around the bush. He had also found his soulmate Cindy when they were young , so he fancied himself an expert on the subject . "You know if you don't take the leap on this there's a crowd of guys waiting for a shot with that girl. "

Antonio laughed " Is nothing private around here? "

Christopher shook his head "Come on, we're all family. You know Gabby would say the same thing if she was here. What are you waiting for?"

Before he could reply Matt and Kelly sat down on either side of him. "What are we talking about?" Kelly picked up the bottle of beer Herrmann placed in front of him and took a drink.

"Well, I told Antonio here he needs to pull the trigger on this thing with Kat and fast. He's dawdling, no idea why. "

"Dawdling? What are you my abuela?" Antonio rolled his eyes.

"Herrmann's right, not to place any pressure on you but the girl has a line of fans a block long, including the two of us. " Matt pointed to himself and Kelly. "So you may want to decide soon. Besides, it isn't like you to be shy about these things… what's going on?"

"Nothing! You guys don't understand - I like her a lot. " Antonio almost used another L word, but stopped himself. "But working under Hank, I need to approach it differently is all. " Antonio knew they were just giving him a hard time. Christopher was right, they really were all family. He felt her presence before she came up behind him, and then he saw Christopher's face break out into a grin.

"Hey girl! Whatcha having?"

She grinned back at him "Surprise me." All four men were stunned , she typically ordered scotch, hers and Hanks favorite drink. The three men on bar stools turned around and gave her a look, and she just shrugged. "I feel like something besides scotch. " The silver haired owner of the bar handed her a glass with a red tinted liquid in it. She didn't hesitate and took a sip, smiling wide when she tasted it. "Vodka and Cranberry ! Good choice thanks Christopher!" She blew him a kiss and was off again to talk to the next group of people.

Antonio watched her go, knowing the guys were right. He needed to get her alone and talk to her soon, before the opportunity vanished.

Kat was sipping her drink talking to Adam and Kevin when she felt a hand touch her shoulder . She turned around and found Antonio standing there . "Can we talk?" he motioned to the back room. She nodded, putting her drink on the nearest table, and followed him.

"What's up?" She started as soon as they were alone, but didn't get to say anything further. She was stopped by Antonio pulling her close , his lips crashing into hers. Her body tensed out of instinct, but she immediately relaxed and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him even closer. They continued for a few minutes, things heating up before they pulled apart.

"Not that I'm complaining because trust me, I'm not…. But where did that come from ? Or maybe I should say… what the hell took you so long ?" she grinned at him, breathless.

Antonio just shook his head. "I like you, A LOT Kat. I want us to be together, I was just worried about Hank and how he would react." He pulled her close again , his lips trailing down her neck.

She moaned "Well, you done being worried now? Because I would love to get out of here if you are."

She didn't have to tell him twice. He grabbed her hand and they slipped out the back of Molly's, avoiding any conversations with anyone , making it to the vehicle in record time.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Thank you SO MUCH to the reader that left a review, it made me grin from ear to ear!! I really appreciate it :) So, he finally did it! Now let's see what happens...

Chapter 12

Antonio couldn't stop glancing at Kat. As they were driving to his house he kept one hand interlocked with hers, as a way to ground himself . He was over the moon that she wanted to be with him, and mentally kicked himself for taking so long to go for it. When they pulled up in front of his house, he got out and opened her door for her, holding out his hand. She gladly accepted , and their eyes darkened with intensity and desire. He couldn't help it, he took both hands and cupped her face, pulling her close to him. The kiss lasted just a few seconds, but it caused Kat to blush a deep red. Silently they went inside. As soon as the door shut it was game on. Kat pulled at Antonio's shirt, desperate to remove it. He peeled hers off slowly, teasing her. They made their way to the bedroom , removing clothing pieces and dropping them as they went . Antonio made sure to take care of her wounds, even though they were basically healed, but it was sweet anyway. She nipped at the pulse point at the base of his neck, causing him to groan and toss her gently onto the bed. That in turn made her giggle, which turned him on even more. The actual act was fast, frenzied… They couldn't get enough of each other. When Kat moaned his name it sent Antonio over the edge completely. They lay together afterwards, smiles on their faces, complete spent . Kat propped herself up on an elbow and looked down into his dark eyes.

"Why did we wait so long to do that ?" she bent down and gave him a rather tame kiss compared to what they had done earlier, but it didn't matter to him. It turned him on just the same. He rolled over onto her back and kissed her back, his being more intense than hers. When they pulled apart they stared at each other for as few minutes in silence before he laid back down next to her. She immediately spooned into him, laying her hand in his chest, head on his shoulder. Antonio wrapped an arm around her, curling his fingers around Kats hip. Kat thought he might have fallen asleep until he spoke up.

"I love you." He realized the moment he said it what he had done. He felt her tense next to him, but then she relaxed again.

"I love you too." She snuggled in to him even more. He couldn't see it, but Kat had a huge grin on her face and tears in her eyes. The sound of his even breathing made her realize he had actually fallen asleep this time. Kat laid there, body still tingling from what had happened. She thought back to a time when another person told her they loved her… And how this time was so different .

Flashback

17 year old Katherin Bend was standing on the corner of Washington and Racine when she saw a black car pull up. Her stomach dropped, she knew who would be in the car. Kenneth Bowman, the man that fancied himself her "protector" . The thing was, she usually needed protecting from him. He had come to collect his money from her days sales. Thankfully Erin was no where to be found. Kat hated Erin having to deal with this guy. She was only 15 and although neither of them had a great life up til then, Kat knew how to handle herself better . Erin was a runner for Kenneth. She sold drugs and made him money, so he kept her around even being that young. Kat, on the other hand, didn't touch the drugs. She had other uses. And tonight it was as an escort. Kat hated this life, but didn't see it changing any time soon so she made the best of it. She climbed into the car when it pulled up and was immediately greeted with a backhand across the face.

"You holding out on me? Where's my money?" Ken grabbed her by the arm and shook her. "And where's your side kick? She owes me her daily sales too."

Kat rubbed her cheek , the mark from his ring was already showing, and shook her head. "I don't know where Erin is. I haven't seen her today." She was greeted with another hit.

"Liar! You two are inseparable, I want to know where she is!" he slid up next to her, putting his hand on her thigh. "You know I love you KittyKat… why do you insist on making me mad?"

She shuddered at his touch. The man was 15 years older than her, and she wanted nothing to do with him, but he kept food in her and Erins mouths, and a roof over their heads. So she endured what he did to her. Thankfully she kept him distracted enough he didn't bother Erin at all.

"I have a job for you. You're going to the Roosevelt hotel, room 354. It's 500 for the night, and I want you to report back to me immediately. Got it?"

She nodded and his driver dropped her off at the hotel. That was the night she met Hank Voight, and the first night of the rest of her life. His team had set up an undercover operation to flush out Ken, but they caught her instead. He had found Erin earlier in the evening, who was happy to help get Kat free of the monster they both were afraid of. Hank realized he was dealing with two scared children, not hardened criminals. So he brought the two of them home, fed them, and the rest was history.

End flashback

Kat slipped out of Antonio's arms , grabbing a shirt from his drawer and went off to the living room. She blushed a bit seeing the trail of clothes they had left in their fevered retreat to the bedroom, but she wasn't embarrassed. Instead she picked them all up and put them in a pile by the bedroom. She grabbed her phone and sent a short text to Hank, so he didn't worry about her. She saw she had several missed messages from their friends at Molly's, so she scrolled through them to see if she had missed anything important .

Kim- hey girl where did you run off to? ;)

Sylvie – Did Antonio take you home? We saw you guys go to the back and then you disappeared …

Adam- Darlin I need to talk to you about this thing with me and Kim… and Hailey… call me when you get this.

Kelly- tell Antonio it's about damn time. ;)

She snorted at that one . Checking the time it was definitely too late to call Ruzek, but she sent him a text letting him know she saw his message and she would talk to him tomorrow . Ever since their day at the bakery together he had been using her as a sounding board for his problems. The whole team knew the history between him and Kim, but he needed someone that didn't know the issues and baggage. He wanted a fresh set of eyes and ears, and that's what she became for him. She was happy to do it, he felt like the little brother Justin used to be. It made her happy to be there for someone , after all these people had been there for her.

Antonio rolled over and felt cold next to him. He jumped up when he realized Kat was gone, pulling on a pair of boxers and making his way to the living room. He saw she had picked up the clothes they had left scattered, and it made him smile. He found her curled up on the couch, head on her knees deep in thought . "Hey." He said quietly, sitting down next to her. "Is everything okay?"

She turned and looked at him . "Oh Antonio, it's more than okay." She grinned at him. "I'm happier now than I have been in a very long time. And that's thanks to you." She poked him in the chest gently with her finger. "You healed me. Thank you." She leaned in, with the thought of giving him a quick kiss but it turned into more. He deepened it, their tongues dancing with each other. She broke apart only to move quickly over to straddle him, then continued the kiss. Kat felt his hands , warm on her bare skin so she broke apart again, raising her arms and removing the shirt that was in their way. He leaned in and placed a kiss on the scar on her chest where she had been stabbed. The gesture made her gasp, tears springing to her eyes, it was so tender. He laid his hand on the spot where his lips had just been, and looked up at her.

"I know it's fast, but I love you with all my heart. I hope you know that."

She nodded , unable to speak, and gently grabbed his face with both hands. She leaned down, kissing his forehead, then moved to his jawline. "I love you too." She whispered, peppering him with kisses.

He picked her up , so she wrapped her legs tight around his torso, and they walked back to the bedroom, ready for another round. This time it was slow. They took their time, learning every inch of each others bodies before finally succumbing to sleep.

The next morning it was Antonio that woke up early. He brushed a strand of hair off Kats face, kissing her temple before getting up . He pulled on clothes and went to start breakfast for the two of them when he heard a pounding on the front door. Grabbing his side arm from its holster he checked the peephole before sighing and putting the weapon away. He opened the door and stepped aside. "Hank."

"Where is she?" Hank walked in and stared at him. "She told me she was here, where is she?"

"She's asleep. Listen Hank, I need to tell you…" Antonio tried to tell him about how he felt, but didn't get the chance . Their phones buzzed, informing them there had been a murder and they were needed elsewhere.

"Get her to the district. We will talk about this later." Hank said , short and to the point. Antonio just nodded and shut the door behind him as Hank walked out. When he made his way to the bedroom he found Kat already up and dressed .

"I heard Hank. You've got a case?" she was already dressed her clothes from the night before and was pulling on her boots . He noticed her face was wet pink , she had already washed up. "Just give me a minute and I'll be ready. "

He grabbed her hand and pulled her close. "I'm sorry. I would much rather spend the day in bed with you."

"Don't ever apologize for doing your job Antonio. I'll go hang out with Trudy today, then we can meet back up together later ?" she smiled at him, making his heart melt a bit. This woman was the best thing to happen to him in a very long time, and he wanted to make sure she stuck around . He nodded at her and they left for the district .

21st district

Kat walked in to the station and immediately went to the front desk. "Hey Trudy. Mind if I hang out with you today ? Intelligence caught another case."

"Well of course! Come on back, you can help me type up reports. Won't that be a bundle of fun?" Trudy Platt had scared her a little when she first met the woman, but now Kat realized the woman was someone who lived and loved as fiercely as her father figure. If there was ever a crisis, Kat would definitely want Trudy in her corner . She went behind the desk and helped type, but mainly listened and watched the hustle of the precinct. A few hours later she saw the team enter.

"Hey Darlin don't you look perfect sitting behind that desk? You bucking for sergeants job?" Adam called to her when he walked by.

"I couldn't handle it!" Kat laughed "She is way better equipped to do this day in and day out. I'll stick with baking. Where's Hank?"

"Sarge will be here in a few. He asked we bring you up." Kevin gestured for her to come with them, so she hopped off the stool and started that way. "Thanks for letting me hang out Trudy!"

"Anytime!" They waved at each other and Kat followed the team upstairs.

When they got to the bullpen she stood back and watched the team work. They were methodical, and she was memorized at their movements . She was so focused on them she didn't hear Antonio and Hank walk up behind her, so she jumped a bit when Antonio placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. " He grinned at her and leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"No worries, I was watching the team." She glanced at Hank to see if he noticed Antonio's gesture of affection, but he didn't appear to, or if he did he didn't react . "Can you tell me what's going on?"

The men walked to the white board and Hank placed a photo on it. Kat stayed towards the back of the room continuing to watch. "Victim is 15 year old Keisha Trapper. She was brutally beaten and strangled to death. " Hank was stone faced as he read through the facts of the case . When he got to where the girl was found Kat gasped loudly, making everyone turn towards her. "Katie? What is it?"

She walked to the board, hoping she was wrong . "Washington and Racine… that's… where I used to work." Her face turned red. No one else knew what she was referring to besides Hank, who immediately lead her into his office and shut the door. "Hank, you don't think it's him do you? He couldn't get to me so he turned to others… she was just a kid ." Her eyes filled up with tears , and she had to bite her lip to keep from breaking down .

He patted her hand "This isn't on you baby girl. He has been careful , and covering his tracks. We will catch him, and if this was him? He will pay." Kat knew he was serious. "I know this will be difficult, but I need you to explain everything to the team." He opened the door and walked her back out to the bull pen. "Listen up ." Hank bellowed when they walked out into the room. "Katie has something she needs to share." He stepped back and let her take the floor.

She took a deep breath " So this corner is where Ken had Erin and me working when we were younger. The cause of death? It goes along with his M.O." She turned and looked at the picture tacked to the board. "Was she found with any markings on her? "

Hank looked around the room. "Well? Anyone?"

Jay held up a folder "She had a strange mark on her cheek, the ME didn't know what it could be. How did you guess? " He handed Hank the folder, who in turn handed it to Kat.

She took a look at the photo and knew. "That's an imprint of his ring he wore. Square, looked like a class ring but with no stone in the middle. There were initials of some kind, I can't remember the letters…" she trailed off, holding her hand to her cheek , remembering like it was yesterday.

Antonio wanted to wrap his arms around her and never let go. This poor woman had suffered so much throughout her life, and all he wanted to do was take the pain away. He had to stop himself, remembering they weren't alone. He watched her eyes darken while she thought about those years .

"Check my old medical records from Lakeshore, it'll have a picture of the same imprint." She glanced at Hank "From the night we met."

He nodded and had Kim call them to request the records, and the rest of the team pulled surveillance and Pod footage from the area surrounding the corner. Kat slipped off into the break room, needing a moment to herself. She wasn't alone for long, Hank followed her.

"Katie…" he started but she cut him off.

"I'm okay." She looked down at her hands, and he knew she was lying .

"Go home" he began and she cut him off again.

"No way. I'm not leaving. " She shook her head . "Not when he's out there and did this to another kid. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything else happened."

He reached out and wiped the single tear that had rolled down her cheek. "No one would think less of you if you left. This isn't your job baby girl, it's ours ." He grabbed her hand and squeezed. "You need to take care of yourself. "

She gave him a semi smile "I'll do that when he's caught."

Adam poked his head in at that moment "We've got something."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The pod footage had come back, and it showed a black SUV waiting at the corner where the victim was found, but not a lot else. The vehicle came back stolen as before and the plate was unreadable. Hank requested patrols canvas and find anyone that had seen something , and DFS came to talk about Keisha. Her story sounded a lot like Kat's. Keisha was in the foster system, but had run away from her latest placement, and was living on the streets . Hank could see Kat was taking this personally, it was almost a mirror of her situation back in the day, but didn't know how to help her.

Kat was actually forming a plan. If she could convince Ken that she had the money he had been after, maybe the team could catch him… hell maybe he would just take her and leave Chicago. She heard a voice say her name and shook her head to clear it. She looked up and saw Jay standing in front of her. "Hey Jay, what's up?"

"Lakeshore called , your records were transferred to Med, and they need your consent before they send them to us. I guess because they were sealed ?" Jay didn't know the story, but when Erin and Kat were picked up by Hank, he had their juvenile and medical records sealed so that no one would know what they had been through.

Kat nodded "No problem. I'll call them now." She went to dial the number when Jay stopped her.

"They said you could go there and they'll just give them to you. I can take you if you want?" he looked down at his feet, not knowing what to say to her. I'm sorry wasn't a strong enough sentiment. He had known she had been through hell before they met, but didn't know the extent of the situation. He probably would never fully know what she endured. He reached out his hand and held hers, squeezing tightly. "Kat, I'm…"

She shook her head and squeezed his hand back, a silent thank you. "I'm okay. I'll get to Med myself, I don't want to take you away from the case. Tell Hank I'll be back soon please?"

"Kat I don't think you should go alone…" Jay tried to stop her but she had already breezed through the bull pen and was down the stairs before he could. "Damn that girl is fast." He muttered to himself and walked back into the bull pen to help the others.

Firehouse 51

Kat pulled up in Hanks car and parked in front of the firehouse. For this plan to work she was going to need back up that didn't include the man she had known as her only father, and the guy she just been intimate with. They were too close, and would never let her do what she needed to catch this creep. So she decided the next best back up would be her firehouse friends. She prayed they were around , and thankfully they hadn't been called away. She snuck in to the truck bay and made her way to the lieutenants quarters. Matt wasn't in his room but Kelly was. She caught a glimpse of him looking over some sort of files. She knocked and waited til he waved her in.

"Kat! What are you doing here? I didn't think you and Antonio would have come up for air today." He gave her a friendly hug "What's going on?"

She blushed but ignored his comment. "I need your help. I'll understand if you say no, but…" she began her story of the case Intelligence caught, and how it linked back to the man who started the fire and had been torturing her for years.

Kelly sat down, shocked. She had told him her general idea, to get ahold of Ken and let him know she had gotten his money, as long as he would leave town. He shook his head, the girl was crazy brave but there was no way she should be doing this. He knew she didn't want to hear that so he tried the next best alternative. "Did you talk to Hank? Antonio? Jay even? They are better equipped to handle this type of thing." She hung her head. "Not that I won't help, just.. They probably should be there right?"

"Kelly this man has killed a 15 year old girl. She was strangled and beaten to death. That was almost me 18 years ago. I can't let him get away with this again. " She shook her head trying to stop the tears from forming. "I have to do this. None of intelligence can help me with this, they are all too close. "

"What, you think we aren't ?" Kelly placed a finger under her chin and brought her face up to meet his. "Kat we all care about you, deeply. I still say you need to tell Voight. There was a line he liked to say… something about always tell me the truth…."

"So I can lie for you." She laughed "Yeah he said that a lot when Erin and I were younger." Her eyes shifted down . "You're right. I'll tell them. Thanks anyway Kelly." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and turned to walk away when he grabbed her arm.

"You don't get away that easily. Tell me your plan, and I'll help however I can."

She grinned and have him a big hug and kiss, and then sat down and roughed out her idea with him. After they talked she realized she had been gone longer than it would take to get her medical records , so she said goodbye and promised to keep him updated. Then she made her way to Med.

Chicago Med

Kat walked into the emergency room, not really sure where to go to get her records. She saw Will walk by so she called out to him.

"Will!" he turned and grinned when he saw it was her.

"Hey Kat! What can I help you with ? You aren't hurt are you ?" he gave her a quick hug.

"Oh no I'm fine . I'm a bit lost, I need to pick up my medical records that were transferred from Lakeshore. Where would I find that department ?"

"Well it gets a bit tricky, why don't I just take you down?" he held out his arm and she laughed, taking it.

"How was the honeymoon?" she winked at him, giggling when he turned the same shade of red as his hair.

"Good." He smiled at the thought. " We missed you at the reception. I'm really sorry you and Jay didn't work out. "

"He's a great guy, and I'm really lucky to have him as a friend. " She felt her phone buzz and pulled it out to look at it. "Speaking of him…" she answered the phone "Hey Jay, what's up?"

"Kat where are you? Hanks about ready to send out search and rescue. " She could hear Hank yelling through the phone .

Kat rolled her eyes at Will, who chuckled. "I'm at Med. I'm with Will right now he's showing me where the records department is. I'll put you on speaker. " She clicked the button "Go ahead."

"Hey Jay. Everything okay?" Will and Kat shared a glance.

"Oh, you actually are there. Okay, no everything's fine…" they could hear bustling around on the other side of the phone. "Yeah so…Hank said you weren't supposed to go anywhere alone, and to get the records and get back here. His words. " He said the last part quietly .

"10-4 Detective. I'll be there in 30." She hung up the phone and they walked into the records department .

"Doctor Halstead, what can I do for you." A woman whose badge read Ann asked him as they walked to the desk.

"Nothing for me thanks . My friend here needs to pick up her medical records." He gestured to Kat to go ahead.

"Yes, Katherin Elaine Bend. Date of birth August 18th, 1982. They were sent over from Lakeshore. "

Ann pulled her hardcopy records and handed them to her. "I just need you to sign these forms and you're all set." Kat signed the paperwork and after another hug and a promise to get together with Nat for coffee she was on her way back to the district.

When Kat walked back in to the station she waved at Trudy who buzzed her up immediately . She got to the top of the stairs and stopped , all eyes were staring at her. She knew she was in trouble when she heard "KATIE MY OFFICE" being bellowed across the room. She sighed and made her way over.

"Open or…" she didn't finish the sentence, she just shut the door and took a seat. She noticed Hank was pacing, which he usually didn't do. "I went to get the medical records." She said in a lame attempt to get him to calm down. She held them out to him, and he ignored her. "I also went to 51. I needed to talk to Kelly about something . I was perfectly fine, no tails."

He finally stopped pacing and stared at her. "We have another body. A 17 year old girl named Calista Jones. They found her at the Roosevelt Hotel. Sound familiar?"

Kat closed her eyes. The same hotel she met Hank for the first time. "I remember." She spoke barely above a whisper . She took a deep breath trying to gather the courage for what she was about to say. "Dad, I have a plan."

Kelly walked up the steps into Intelligence with Trudy by his side. He exchanged hugs and hellos with everyone in the bullpen, and Trudy went back downstairs.

"What are you doing here ? " Antonio gave him a fist bump.

"I'm surprised you made it in today." Kelly responded, laughing at the look on Antonio's face. "Kat came by the firehouse earlier , said she needed my help with something . I told her to talk to you guys first, I wanted to make sure she did." He glanced around and saw Hanks door closed. "Guessing she's talking to Hank." He took a seat on the corner of one of the desks and waited with the team. They all jumped when Hanks door flew open and he stormed out, ignoring everyone. A few seconds later Kat came out. Her eyes were red, she had been crying.

Antonio didn't care what people thought or said, he rushed over to her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her forehead. "What happened ?"

She shook her head "He's pissed at me. I told him what I plan to do, and he doesn't agree." She squeezed Antonio around the waist and then backed up, looking at the faces of the Intelligence team. "Guys I care about all of you. If you can't help me I understand completely . But Hank knows, I'm doing this either way. "

"Doing what Darlin?" Adam asked and the others nodded . She looked into Antonio's eyes before responding.

"I'm offering myself up as bait."

The whole room erupted into chaos and anger. A lot of "No way!" And "hell NO " comments were made. Kat just shook her head and held up her hand to quiet down the room. " I already called some of my old "friends" that may know how to get ahold of Ken. They are letting him know I have his money, and want to meet. It's done. I am catching this bastard." She balled her fists at her sides, trying to avoid crying again. "He can't keep getting away with this. When it was just me? It was one thing. But he's killed two girls. The same ages Erin and I were when we worked for him. He's taunting me… and Hank." She explained the second victim had been found in the hotel she met Hank at the night that he took them under his wing, and the significance of the corner where the first victim was found. "I can't allow this to keep going . I HAVE to do something." She saw Kelly standing near one of the desks. "You going to help, or are you going to try and talk me out of it too?" she directed towards him.

He shook his head. "I'm here as back up, however you need me."

"Kat." Antonio started but she cut him off by pulling him to the side.

"Please, don't try and convince me not to do this. Its going to happen whether you all help or not. I just need someone watching my back." She have him a pleading look, and he held both hands up in surrender.

Hank came back about that time, still angry but his face showed he knew he wouldn't change her mind. He walked past the group and stood next to the door of his office duffel bag in hand, trying to come up with a good excuse why she shouldn't do this and couldn't. She was the one with the history and relationship with the man. She was right, as much as he didn't want to admit it . "Okay, here's the plan." Hank spoke up and everyone else stopped their conversations to listen. He dropped the bag he was holding on the nearest desk. "Katie will be taking this money to meet with Ken. We do not move in until she is clear of him, period. " He went over the plan , reiterated that she was to lure him out only and not to be left alone with him for longer than absolutely necessary.

While they were talking Kat felt her phone buzz , so she stepped away to check it. An unknown caller came up on the ID. "Hello?"

"KittyKat." She immediately waved her hand at the group who stopped talking , so she put the phone on speaker.

"Ken. It's been a while. "

"5 years. You finally have what I've been waiting for all this time?"

Kat closed her eyes , fighting back nausea. The man made her physically ill, and she was having a hard time keeping calm . "Yes, I have your money. Where can we meet?"

"Not so fast KittyKat… I'm supposed to believe you scraped together 10 grand ? After all these years ? What you win the lottery ?" Ken teased her.

She felt Antonio grab her hand and squeeze, giving his silent moral support. "Yeah, you could say that . Where do you want to meet?"

"How about our place. 10 pm. By the way, let me just remind you… I own you. So don't be stupid and call the cops or anything." With that he disconnected the call.

Kat felt her knees buckle and she would have hit the ground if it hadn't been for Antonio holding on to her. He helped her sit in the nearest chair, and knelt in front of her, holding her hands. "We will get him, I promise you Kat."

Kat glanced at Hank , who immediately recognized the look she was giving him. "Katie, no."

"I have to Hank. I know where he's talking about, I have to go alone."

Everyone else in the room disagreed. "Where ever it is, I can watch from above." Claimed Jay. "I'm a damn good sniper, it'll be over quick. "

"Where is the place he's referring to?" Kevin asked.

"Navy pier. We used to go there, when he was in a good mood. Erin and I loved the Ferris wheel." She semi smiled at the thought.

"There will be a lot of civilians around , even at that time of night. We should be able to blend in pretty well. "Antonio said.

"I can get the guys to come too. Just for more help, since it's a pretty large area to cover." Kelly commented . "We won't get in your way." He turned towards Hank.

"Tell your men thanks." Hank walked over and shook Kelly's hand. "We can use all the help we can get."

Kelly nodded, and after giving Kat a hug he left to fill 51 in on what the plan was.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I had a bit of trouble with this chapter , I'm hoping it reads okay. Trying to decide the direction I want to go….

Chapter 14

"I want you all back here by 9 to gear up and get ready." Hank advised the team. They all nodded and left the bull pen, leaving Antonio, Hank and Kat left. He pulled Kat into a tight hug. " I want you to get some rest, so you're ready for tonight." He kissed her temple, causing tears to spring into Kats eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too dad." She hugged him tightly, then let go.

He glanced at Antonio "Make sure she gets some sleep please." There was that hardly heard please from him again.

Antonio nodded "Of course Sarge." Hank retreated to his office with the duffel bag and shut his door, and Kat and Antonio headed to his house.

In the car Antonio noticed Kat was silent. He placed his hand on her knee, causing her to smile and look at him. "Don't hide from me now Kat. Talk to me."

She shook her head. "Just thinking . Antonio, promise me something?"

"Anything." He pulled up in front of his house and she turned towards him.

"If something happens, don't let Hank blame himself. "

He locked eyes with her. "Nothing will happen. We will get this bastard, and you will be fine. I know it."

She didn't budge. "Please, just… promise. "

He gave in. "Of course." He exited the car and opened her door for her, helping her out. They got inside and she immediately retreated to the bedroom. Antonio gave her a minute by herself before joining her. He found her flopped face first into the bed, head buried in a pillow sobbing. He rubbed her back and let her cry until she couldn't anymore . When she had composed herself she flipped back over, staring into his eyes.

"What can I do?" he asked.

"Love me." Was her response. He didn't think twice before leaning down and covering her mouth with his. They spent the next few hours wrapped up in each other, letting all the worries and concerns about what could happen disappear, and concentrated on themselves. A little while later , Kat curled up against Antonio, she promised herself she would come back to this. She made herself believe this could be her life, and that this thing with Ken would end tonight . She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

Firehouse 51

Kelly had come back to the firehouse with a concerned look on his face, which lead the other members of the house to question what was going on. He explained the situation as best he could and let them know he was going as a lookout.

"Listen, CPD will be there, and they didn't ask for help but since we aren't on shift why not hang out at Navy Pier tonight? "

The crew all agreed, so Kelly messaged Hank and let him know they would have plenty of support.

Antonio stirred when he heard his phone buzz. He grabbed it off the side table and checked the ID, letting it go to voice mail before slipping out of Kats embrace. Pulling on clothes he saw the time and swore to himself. He didn't want it to be time already. The selfish part of him wanted to stay in bed with Kat and never let her out of his sight, but he knew how important this was. His phone buzzed again and he answered it without looking at the caller ID. "Dawson. "

"How's she doing?" Hanks gruff voice came over the line.

"She's asleep, doing about as well as can be expected."

"How are you doing?" that question took Antonio by surprise .

"Not great. You?" he didn't want to expand on his answer, afraid Hank would say he couldn't be a part of the plan.

"Same." Hank didn't say anything else, although he wanted to. "Severide messaged me. All of the firehouse will be there tonight to serve as lookouts. Normally I wouldn't ok this, but I think it's important to have as many people around that could possibly assist and who Katie is comfortable with. "

Antonio agreed. The fire fighters had helped Intelligence before , and had proved valuable. Antonio was glad they would all be there. "We'll get to the district soon." He checked the time again, realizing he had let Kat sleep til the last possible moment. He disconnected with Hank and went straight to the bedroom. Antonio watched her sleeping , not wanting to disturb her. Finally he sat down on the edge of the bed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Kat, baby. Wake up."

She crinkled her nose "5 more minutes…" she muttered making Antonio laugh.

He leaned down and kissed her temple brushing a stray piece of hair out of the way. "Kat it's time."

She opened her eyes and stared into his. She just nodded and got up, going to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face and wrangle her hair, and got dressed. She came out a couple of minutes later and Antonio ushered her out and to the car.

They pulled up into the garage at the district about 30 minutes later, having to make a stop at Hanks for a change of clothes for Kat. The team was already there , gearing up. Kim, Hailey, and Kevin were all in plain clothes, but made sure their weapons were loaded and ready. Jay was in his vest, and was checking his gun. Adam had been assigned to work on the audio and visual, since they didn't have a full time tech person anymore. When Antonio and Kat came in, she changed her clothes and then Adam went to work , hiding a button camera and microphone on her.

"So in case we weren't already 100% sure, the DNA results came back on both victims. It's a match to our perp Kenneth Bowman. " Jay handed the file to Hank. "They were both strangled to death and beaten severely before that." He pointed to the photos in the file "That ring imprint ? Found on both bodies as well. And it's a match to Kats medical record photos."

"So. We have this guy on murder of two minors. That's for sure. He's also suspected in arson and attempted murder, not to mention stalking. The warrants are signed ?" Hank looked to Kim.

"Signed and ready to throw at him when he catch him boss." Kim held up the paper he was referring to.

"Good. Let's roll."

"Wait- before we do can I just say something?" Kat held up her hand.

Hank nodded and stood back, waiting .

"I want to thank each and every one of you. You didn't have to do this for me. I don't think I could ask for a better group of people having my back… or as my family. And that's what you all are." She glanced at Hank who smiled at her. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you."

They each grinned and nodded at her. "All right Hit it." Hank told them, and they scattered to their specific cars. "Katie, no matter what happens, I won't let him do anything to you or anyone else ever again. You hear me?" he grabbed her and pulled her close.

She had to fight back tears. "I know dad." They pulled apart and went to their different vehicle, Kat carrying the money bag.

They pulled up to Navy Pier and Kat couldn't breathe. Antonio grabbed her hand and just rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. "It'll be okay. We are right here, if anything happens we will be there in a split second. "

She nodded and got out of the car, grabbing the duffel bag. She gave him one last look and shut the door, walking towards the pier. Antonio got out and jogged to Hanks vehicle which was just out of sight . Getting in he gave Hank a glance, and they silently waited.

Kat could see the firefighters milling around, which gave her immense comfort. She saw Kevin and Kim standing acting like they were on a date, which was really sweet, and made her giggle. She saw Hailey out of the corner of her eye sitting on a bench, drinking a cup of coffee . She breathed a little easier knowing she had plenty of back up around. Her phone buzzed and she looked down at it, scrunching her nose a bit at what it said.

"Heads up she got a text and is on the move." Adams voice came over their phones.

"No one moves. Just observe. " Hank replied.

Kat walked to the pier and looked out over the water. Even in pitch blackness it calmed her anxiety. She stood there for a few minutes before she felt a hand on her hip and someone lean in, whispering in her ear. "Hello KittyKat, long time no see. "

She attempted to stop the involuntary trembling that was happening by taking a deep breath. "Ken." She turned towards him and watched his eyes run over her from head to toe. "Here's what you want. " she dropped the duffel bag at his feet . "Its all there. 10 grand. "

His eyes shifted down and then back to her, ignoring the bag for the moment. "You look good. Why don't we catch up? Go somewhere and talk ?" his eyes were staring holes into her, like he was looking through to her soul.

Hank had to put his hand on Antonio's arm to keep him from jumping out of the car. "Everyone HOLD."

"Sure, we can talk here though . I like the water." She said , picking up the bag and moving off the pier onto the shore line. She had to bite her lip to ward off the nausea she was feeling at him being so close to her. Her skin crawled as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"What have you been doing with yourself for the last 5 years?" she squinted her eyes at him, trying to determine how to respond.

"Getting clean. I opened a bakery." Her eyes darted to his face, and saw a flash something when she mentioned the store.

"Oh yeah… I've been by there a time or two." He was taunting her.

"I'm surviving." She continued. "Unlike those kids you killed." She shrugged out of his grip.

His face turned white . "How did… what are you talking about?" he slipped up for a second . "I would never hurt anyone. "

Her face twisted and she glared at him. "Really? You wouldn't ?" she pulled her shirt down to show him the scar she still had from his attack. "YOU did this Ken. You tried to kill me, more than once. " her temper flared and she started yelling at him. "You started my house on fire with me inside! You shot me!" her face burned with rage.

"KittyKat, I have no idea what you're talking about!" Ken looked genuinely confused.

"You want us to move in Sarge?" Kevin's voice came over the radios.

"Negative. She is trying to get him to confess to everything. STAY BACK. " Hank had to stop Antonio from jumping out of the car again. "Hold. " He reiterated, looking Antonio straight in the eyes.

Antonio was pissed. He didn't want her around this guy any longer than she had to be, and she was getting agitated.

"But those girls deserved what they got, so did you.." Ken finished his thought. "I don't take kindly to thieves Kat, neither do the people you affected when you stole 10 grand worth of oxi from me. You got off easier than the others. In fact, I say you still owe me." He lunged at her and that's when all hell broke loose. Kat grabbed the gun she had hidden in the duffel bag before they left the district and aimed it towards Ken.

"Boss she's got a gun!" Adams voice came over the radio.

"Don't you dare touch me!" she yelled at him and he had the nerve to scoff at her.

"You gonna shoot me KittyKat? You don't have the guts." He started towards her again.

"Move in! " Hank yelled over the radio, and his team started her way. They weren't close enough, Kelly made it to her first . He had been watching the whole thing unfold from close by and made his way to them without either of them spotting him.

"Kat, hand me the gun. " He held out his hand towards her.

She shook her head. "He deserves this Kelly. Those girls deserve this. I DESERVE THIS." She cocked the hammer, and Kelly took a step closer .

"You're right, he does deserve it, but you can't do this. If you do you won't ever be able to live with yourself. Give me the gun sweetheart." He inched closer until he was close enough to put his hand on her arm. "Voight will take care of him."

Her body relaxed a bit when Kelly said Hanks name, but she didn't hand him the gun. At that moment the Intelligence team descended on their location, grabbing Ken and placing him under arrest. Only when he was in cuffs was Kat able to relax. She would have dropped to her knees if Kelly hadn't been there to grab her, and the gun. As soon as Hank strode over to them Kelly handed him the weapon, but didn't move, he didn't want to let Kat go. When Antonio ran over and said her name Kelly eased her into his arms and backed up.

"Antonio. " she sobbed, and he just held her, stoking her hair and whispering into her ear.

"You're okay baby. I've got you."

"Get him to the district." Hank spoke in a low growl. His team nodded , reading Ken his rights and taking him away. He shook Kelly's hand , thanking him for being there, and walked over to where Antonio was holding Kat. "Baby girl." He put his hand on her shoulder and she turned to look at him.

"Dad I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought the gun." She started but Hank held up a hand to stop her.

"You did everything right. I'm proud of you. Antonio I want you to take her home, and she doesn't leave. Got it?" he threw a look his way, causing Antonio to bite back the response he was about to make and just nod. Hank gave Kat a tight hug, kiss on the forehead and walked away.

Kat turned back towards Antonio. "Is it really done?"

With the comments Ken had made and the way he acted when Kat had mentioned the attacks Antonio wasn't so sure. He really wanted to be at the district to question the bastard, but he also didn't want to disobey orders. He just wrapped his arm around Kats waist and steered her back to the car, stopping at the van where Adam was to give him back the camera and microphone before heading home.

The moment they walked in to the house Kat retreated to the bathroom. Antonio sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for her. He heard her call his name so he opened the door slightly "everything ok?"

She motioned for him to step fully into the bathroom. The hot water was steaming up the room and she stood in front of him completely naked. "Join me?"

He didn't hesitate, stripping as fast as he could and rushing over to her, wrapping his arms around her and capturing her mouth with his. Stepping into the shower , he knew this was what they both needed. This was hard and fast. Kat was desperate for his touch, as he was hers. They let the water run down around them, staying wrapped up in each other until it turned cool and their fingers wrinkled. Finally they got out, and made their way to the bed. Antonio wasn't finished with her though. He laid her down and worshipped her slowly, kissing every inch of her, until she cried out his name.

After they laid together, fully satisfied and happy. Kat was tucked into Antonio's side, and he was lazily drawing shapes on her bare back with his fingers. She sighed, she felt safe for the first time in a very long time.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: hey friends! I'm not completely comfortable writing "Sex scenes" so I hope my PG -13 version ok for you all ;) I am changing my rating to M for language and just to be on the safe side . Thanks everyone for the love!!!

Chapter 15

21st district

Hank slammed his hands on the table in anger. "You're trying to tell me you haven't been following her around for more than a month ? That these aren't your photos ??" he threw the pictures they had collected from the walls of the house at him. "Do you think I'm stupid??"

Ken smirked at him. "Do you really want me to answer that?" he responded , causing Hanks face to twist in anger.

"Listen, we know you killed those two girls." Jay was the more calm of the two men, but he did that on purpose. "You might as well confess to everything then we can talk."

Ken laughed. " You have no clue. I wanna talk to Kat, she's the ONLY one I'll talk to. If she isn't here, then I want a lawyer. "

The dreaded L word. "There is no way in hell I'm letting you NEAR her." Hank growled at him and threw open the door to the interrogation room, storming out.

Jay just shook his head. "That isn't going to happen, so you might as well forget it. You tortured her, you really think she wants anything to do with you?"

Ken shrugged. "Did I?" he sat back, arms laying in front of him on the table. "LAWYER. You know that word right?"

Jay could see he wasn't going to get anywhere so he picked up the file and walked out, striding to the bull pen. "Did he crack?" Adam asked , and got his answer when Hank slammed his door open , striding towards the group .

"Lock him in a cell. We have his DNA on the two girls at least, we can book and charge him for those murders. I don't want him anywhere near Katie, you got me?" he didn't wait for an answer from anyone, he just walked out.

The team looked confused , except for Jay who knew exactly what he was referring to. "He said he would only talk to Kat…" Jay trailed off, and the rest of the team shook their heads.

"No wonder Voight is livid. " Kim spoke up. "But if there's a way it can help…"

Jay shot her a look. "Not only would Voight not go for that, neither would Antonio. There is no way. We just need to get the proof he's responsible for everything . Leave Kat out of it."

They sat down and started the paperwork to book Ken for murder of the two minors. Jay sent a text to Antonio so he would be caught up whenever he made it back to the district.

Antonio heard his phone vibrate, pulling him out of the peaceful thoughts he was having. He looked over and saw Kat still curled up next to him, but her brow was furrowed, like she was having a bad dream. He kissed the wrinkles in her forehead and that seemed to help ease whatever she was thinking about. A smile replaced the upset look and she sighed. Antonio eased out of the bed and grabbed a pair of boxers and sweatpants from his dresser before heading to the kitchen. He checked his phone and found a text from Jay.

Tonio- Ken will only talk to Kat. Voight is NOT on board. Keep an eye out bro.

Antonio responded – thanks for the heads up.

He grabbed a beer from the fridge , popped the top and took a long pull. This guy was nuts if he thought Kat would ever be in the same room as him, let alone TALK to him. He stood there a good 10 minutes when he felt Kats arms wrap around his waist and turned around. "What are you doing up? You should be asleep." She had grabbed one of his shirts and was wearing it and nothing else.

"I got lonely." She smiled shyly at him. He leaned in to kiss her when he heard a familiar pounding at his front door.

"That'll be Voight. You might want to…" He pointed towards the bedroom. She nodded and scampered off, before Antonio opened the door. "Hank."

The older man nodded and came inside. "This bastard wants to talk to Katie. Can you believe the nerve?" Hanks face red in anger. "He is looking at life, and he wants to talk to her."

Kat had gone and changed into sweatpants , and was standing in the hallway listening. She tried to think of why Ken would want to talk to her, and decided if it helped them put him away, she would do it. "Dad?" Both men turned towards her when they heard her speak. "If it will help you in any way, I'll do it."

Hank moved across the room in no time. "No way in hell is that man ever going to be in the same room as you ever again Katie. I don't care what his angle is, it isn't happening. " He pulled her close and kissed her forehead. "Now" he changed gears "How long did you two think you could keep this a secret from me?" he gave Antonio a look that made him shift his gaze to the floor.

"Keep what Sarge?"

Hank gave him a death glare. "I waited to see if you would tell me on your own, but I see that isn't happening . "

Kat pulled away and walked to Antonio, tucking herself under his arm. "Its new." They glanced at each other . "We weren't being misleading on purpose it's just… "

"Sarge I love her." Antonio spit out. "I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you when it first happened, but I'm being honest now." His hand curled around her hip possessively. "I want her to stay with me. If that's okay with her." He added , grinning down at Kat.

The look on her face told Hank everything he needed to know, and erased any fear he had of the two of them being together. She was over the moon for this man, a man that Hank knew to be a really good guy. He was fiercely loyal , loved his kids, and would do anything for his friends. Hank was thrilled they had worked out. "Welcome to the family Antonio." He reached out and shook the younger man's hand, then pulled Kat into a tight hug. "I'm happy for you baby girl. ' He whispered to her, and she thanked him with a kiss on the cheek. Hank left , leaving the two of them alone .

"You really want me to stay here with you ?" Kat questioned "You don't have to protect me anymore. Ken's behind bars, and I'm sure you would like to get back to work." Antonio shook his head, grabbing both her hands and pulled her close to him.

"I wasn't kidding when I said I loved you. I know it's fast, I know you've been through a whole hell of a lot, but I would be ecstatic if you stayed with me. If you want to go back to work , go to the firehouse , whatever. I just want us to be together . I can't imagine you not being here." He didn't get to finish his sentiment before Kat was leaning in, kissing him sweetly.

"I would love to stay here with you." She squeezed him tight around the torso , and he kissed her on the forehead. They stood together for a few minutes before she pulled away and crooked her finger at him, motioning for him to join her in the bedroom. He grinned and followed, realizing he could definitely get used to this.

Their lives went back to normal – or what they could consider normal – for a good few months. It was now turning fall in Chicago . A chill was in the air, hinting that winter wasn't too far off. Ken had stayed true to his word – he didn't speak to anyone. He was charged with the murder of the two girls, but the case fell short. Even after his basic confession on the wire Kat had worn, and his DNA on the girls, the case wasn't strong enough to lead to a conviction. The day he was released Kat was there. She made sure Hank and Antonio didn't know she was planning on seeing Ken, she asked Adam to bring her instead. He reluctantly agreed, but knew he would never hear the end of it if his superiors found out.

They sat in a car across from the courthouse, waiting for Ken to come out. "Tell me Darlin, why are you doing this? You don't have to."

"I do. For these girls, for myself. If he really didn't do this maybe he knows who did . He said he would only talk to me, and I want him to talk." She crossed her arms and stared out the window of the car.

Adam nodded even though he knew she wasn't looking at him, and decided in another subject. "So how are you and Tonio doing?"

With that question she turned towards him, huge grin on her face. "So good!" the last few months had been a whirlwind. She officially moved out of her house and in to Antonio's. She met Diego and Eva, both of whom she adored. They seemed to like her too, although she wasn't sure if that was due to the desserts she made them or just her.

Adam had a hard time keeping a poker face going, he knew Antonio had planned on asking Kat to marry him, and he didn't want to ruin the surprise. He didn't have to keep it up for long, he caught a glimpse of Ken walking out of the courthouse with his lawyer. "There he is." He pointed towards the man . Kat swiveled her head to look and immediately got out of the car , jogging across the street and standing in front of him. Adam also got out of the car but waited for her there.

"I'm going to ask you to leave my client alone. He's done nothing wrong " the attorney spoke up and Ken just waved a hand dismissing her.

"She's not police. We're fine, you can go. " He gestured for the woman to leave and then he started walking, Kat following behind him. "So, does daddy know you're here?" he sneered at her. While waiting for the trial he had found out who Hank Voight was, and quickly put the puzzle pieces together of why she and Erin disappeared all those years ago, and who had taken them in.

"I came alone. You said months ago you would talk, only to me. Why?" she was genuinely curious. She had set him up, yet he refused to speak to anyone but her. "What do you want from me?"

He sat down on a bench and patted the seat next to him. "Come sit with me KittyKat. We need to catch up. " She hated that nickname and he knew it, which is why he kept using it. He wanted a reaction out of her, which he got when her nose crinkled and she sat down as far away as she could from him. "I won't bite." She just shook her head and he shrugged continuing . "That house your friends raided? Wasn't mine. Someone set me up, I'm guessing the people that I owed after you stole that oxi from me." She glanced at him, trying to gauge if he was telling the truth. "I did know those two girls, they were runners for me. But I hadn't seen them in a few days before they were found." He eased his way closer to her. "You think I would be stupid enough to leave my DNA on someone I killed?" Kat went to open her mouth and he stopped her "Don't answer that. I wouldn't be. I also wouldn't leave the bodies somewhere that could link back to me. You need to tell him… Sergeant Voight, I was set up."

"Why didn't you just tell him yourself?" Kat stared at him. It made sense, what he was saying, although Hank wouldn't want to hear it.

"After everything we have been through Katherin, I trust you." Ken was being oddly sentimental. And although Kat hated the man, he had provided her and Erin a home and food when they needed it, which was why she was sitting here listening to him.

"You stabbed me." She said in a whisper. "You're telling me now you didn't shoot me? Didn't burn down my house?"

He shook his head "I know what I did in the past was horrible, and I am truly sorry for it . But I'm not the one attacking you now. " He slid his hand close to hers, touching her fingers with his. "I swear on… whatever you deem holy that I did not do these things ."

Tears started to form in Kats eyes. She caused the intelligence team months of wasted time because she thought Ken was the one behind these attacks. Now they had a cold case, because of her. She got up , walking away before stopping and looking back at him. "If you are lying to me, nothing will save you from Hank, I promise you that."

Ken held his hands up in surrender . "I understand , but I'm telling the truth. If I can help in any way, let me know." He rose , thinking about giving her a hug before realizing that would have been a bad idea… so he just nodded at her and walked away.

Kat made her way to the car , and was silent for most of the car ride. "Where to?" she heard Adam ask her finally.

"My bakery. I need to work." She turned back to look out the window, silent again. Her mind was racing. She knew the men that Ken had worked for all those years ago, they were high up in the drug running business . He had introduced them once, a lifetime ago.

 _Flashback_

 _Kat had just returned to Chicago when her life was turned upside down. She sat in the back row of the church, crying in silence as they celebrated the life of Camille Voight. She saw Justin and Hank, but didn't approach them. She also saw Erin Lindsey, her surrogate sister and best friend. Erin had caught her eye but didn't approach her until after the funeral. After the congregation had left, Kat walked to the front of the church where a photo of Camille stood. "Mom, I'm so sorry I wasn't here. I miss you guys so badly… " she heard footsteps and turned quickly to leave when she ran right into Erin._

 _"I thought that was you." Erin enveloped her into a tight hug. "God Kat it's been ages. How are you holding up?" she could see the woman frantically searching around the church. "Hank and Justin left for the cemetery already. You're safe, it's just me."_

 _"Oh Er… I'm sorry I wasn't here." Kat wiped the tears away that just kept falling . "I had to get out of Chicago, it was just too much ." they sat down in the first pew and talked for hours . When Erin finally checked the time she realized Hank would be looking for her, so they exchanged numbers and a promise to get together soon. As Kat watched her go, she felt a small but of relief to be back, and joy that she could be involved in her family's lives again._

 _That changed immediately after Kat left the church. Pulling out into the street, distracted, she didn't see the car coming straight for her. Everything went dark, and she didn't regain consciousness until hours later in the hospital at Lakeshore._

 _She spent the next month in recovery for her broken vertebrae. Thankfully it wasn't extremely serious, but it did cause Kat an extensive amount of pain, which is when she got hooked on the pain killers. Her doctor refused to fill any more prescriptions after her check up came back clear of any lasting damage, so she tracked down their old "boss" Ken._

 _He was surprised to hear from her, but quickly took her under his wing and got her set up as a runner for his bosses. He had supplied her with enough pain medicine that she shouldn't have needed to take any more, but her body couldn't handle the pain (or so she thought). In reality it was her brain that was registering pain her body wasn't actually having , a side effect of becoming addicted. One night instead of delivering the medication as she was supposed to, she hid it. Taking what she could handle at the time she felt free. No pain. Until Ken came banging down the door demanding his pills back. Since Kat had been so high she couldn't fight back… and in his anger he stabbed her in the chest. He took off, not realizing she was still alive, although barely. Her neighbor heard the fight, called 911 and she was rushed to the hospital._

 _Kat went into rapid detox, which was not fun in the least. She spent a good 4 years recuperating and healing, physically mentally and emotionally, that's how bad off she was. She stayed in Chicago, got in touch with Hanks best friend Alvin, keeping him as a confidante. She opened a bakery, something she had always dreamed about . She became clean and vowed to get back to her old self, the carefree fun one. She kept in contact with Erin, but before they could get a chance to see each other Erin was transferring to the FBI in New York. They talked on the phone for hours when she made her decision, Kat thought maybe Erin wanted to be talked out of it. She kept mentioning her unit, the amazing men and women she worked with…. A Detective Jay Halstead made his way into their conversations on multiple occasions. She didn't want to leave him behind, that was going to be her biggest regret. Kat promised her that she would talk to him , if she ever had the chance to meet him, and let him know how hard this decision was for her. They hung up, knowing that they both were going to be okay._

 _And that was when the attacks started. For the first few weeks Kat didn't think anything of it. She played it off , thought about calling Al but decided against it. Then came the night of the fire, and it changed everything._

 _After the members of firehouse 51 saved her, she felt it necessary to thank them. She spent hours in the kitchen, baking batches of "Not your mommas " chocolate chip cookies (named that because of the secret ingredient in them)to bring to them. She was nervous to actually meet the men and women that had saved her, although she wasn't sure why. The nice red haired doctor at Chicago Med told her what house they belonged to, so she made her way there._

 _"Can we help you?" a voice made her jump as she stood in front of the open truck bay doors, lost in thought._

 _"Yes! Sorry, um… I'm looking for the members of truck 81, squad 3 and Ambulance 61?" she shuffled her feet slightly embarrassed she didn't know any of their names. "They saved me the other day…"_

 _A handsome blond haired man stood up and walked towards her. "House fire on Pulaski? That was us." He ushered her inside "How can we help you?"_

 _She looked into his eyes and almost backed out, but she stood tall and thrust the container she had in her hands towards him. "I own a bakery, and I needed to do something to thank you all." By that time There was a large crowd gathered around. Her face turned red but she continued "I brought you cookies. I really appreciate everything you did. I won't bother you any longer I just, had to thank you. " she stepped back and went to leave when she heard a chorus of "stay!"_

 _There was a tall blue eyed man standing next to the blond haired one when she turned around . He spoke up "I'm Lieutenant Kelly Severide this is Lieutenant Matt Casey. We were the ones that pulled you out. Stay, we like getting to follow up with the people we save." He held out his arm to her and she ducked her head._

 _"Really? I'm not bothering you?"_

 _They all shook their heads, most already had grabbed a cookie and were stuffing their faces. She grinned and accepted his arm. "Hi, I'm Katherin Bend, but my friends call me Kat. " They walked her back to the common room and an unlikely friendship was formed._

 _End flashback_


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

When she was upset Kat baked. So after her meeting with Ken, she had Adam bring her to the bakery, and she worked for hours. The store had been reopened and she had usually had a line of customers a mile long. Thankfully it helped her keep focused on the task at hand and not have her mind wandering. She had hired a few extra hands for the front of the house, so she could concentrate on the baking. Today the store was closed, but she wanted to get work done.

Adam liked hanging out at her bakery. Not only did it smell anazing, but when he decided to become her bodyguard of the day she fed him too. The last few months they had grown close, like a brother and sister. Adam would tease her and she gave it right back, making their relationship fun. "Can I help with anything?" he offered politely, hoping she wouldn't say yes.

Kat laughed at him. She knew better, he was useless in the kitchen unless he was making his favorite dish Fettuccini Alfredo. Anything besides that? Forget it. She shook her head and held out a cannoli she had just finished decorating. "Yeah, taste test this see what you think. " She giggled when he snatched it out of her hands and shoved it in his mouth, his face beaming.

"Mmmdjfjkfk." He mumbled causing Kat to laugh even harder.

"I'm going to take that as it's good?" she wiped tears off her cheeks as he nodded at her, chewing and finally swallowing the dessert.

"Yes! I'm gonna need you to stop feeding me doll. I'll need to go to Antonio's gym pretty soon if you don't." He winked at her and she shook her head.

"I figured you were keeping in shape with Kim?" she poked a finger at him causing him to blush a deep red.

"What? HOW?" Hailey and Adam had decided to be friends , breaking off whatever you wanted to call their relationship a few weeks back. She knew deep down he still loved Kim, and it was obvious to the entire team Burgess still loved him. Since then he and Kim were back together , although they were keeping it a secret, or thought they were . "Let me guess, Kim told you."

She grinned at him and made the "my lips are sealed " motion before moving on to take what was in the oven out. She sat it on top of the stove and took a deep breath in, inhaling the scent of fresh baked bread. She heard a commotion out front , and she and Adam took off towards the noise.

They found a brick, laying in the center of the front room. There had been no one but a worker in the front room, and she were fine but the window was shattered . Kat squeezed her eyes shut , a headache had immediately sprung up. "I really thought this was over with. " she said quietly. Adam rubbed her back between her shoulder blades with one hand, and sent a text to the team with the other.

"Stay here , I'll look around ." He pointed to both of them and unlocked the front door, checking both ways and walking outside .

"Did you see anything Mary?" Kat squeezed the hand of the girl behind the counter who was shaking.

"No Ma'am, I'm so sorry! It just happened so fast, I didn't see anything or anyone!"

"Its okay, don't worry about it. I'm glad you aren't hurt." She calmed the girl down by patting her arm. "I'll get new glass, it's no big deal. " She didn't want to scare the poor girl. Mary had come to her a few weeks back, a run away living on the streets. Kat knew the kind of life she could turn to, and wouldn't allow that to happen so she gave her a job at the bakery. Mary was a hard worker, and appreciative of the chance she had been given. Kat let her stay in the apartment above the bakery, so that she didn't have to live on the streets anymore.

Kat heard the sirens and tires screeching, and she knew the Calvary had arrived. She looked up when she heard the door open, the first face she saw was Antonio's. He rushed over to her, but she just held up a hand and pointed to her cashier. "I'm fine. Adam and I were in the back. Mary was the only one up front . " She gestured to the young girl to come out from behind the counter. "Its okay this is my boyfriend, Detective Antonio Dawson. He just needs to talk to you for a few minutes. " The girl nodded and made her way out, sitting down at a table. Antonio brushed his lips across Kats temple and took a seat across from Mary, flipping open his notepad.

Hank came in next. He glanced at the brick and glass, then at Kat. He could tell she was trying to remain brave in front of her worker, so he lead her back to the kitchen. "Baby girl…" was all he got out before the dam burst.

Kat couldn't keep it in, she let Hank know about how she had seen Ken when he was released from prison, what he had said to her… that he wasn't behind these attacks and that he had been set up for the murders . Yes, he was a scumbag dealer who had hurt her in the past, but she believed him . She looked into Hanks eyes , tears threatening to fall. "Dad, who is doing this?? I thought it was over…." She hung her head.

He didn't say anything , trying to process the information she had given him. He was torn between wanting to call Ruzek in and yell at him for taking her, and yelling at her for believing the son of a bitch. He did neither. Instead he just placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look at him again. "They'll pay." Is all he said. He patted her shoulder, turning around and walking out. He found Ruzek outside. "A word."

Adam gulped. He knew this was going to happen, and he was okay with it. He walked over to Hank , his eyes down. "Yeah Sarge." He opened his mouth to apologize, tell Hank he knew he had been stupid, but he stopped when he felt Hanks hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you for having her back. " Hank slapped him on the back and walked away. Adam's jaw fell from shock, but he closed it quickly and went back to the rest of the team. They all looked at him when he walked up but Adam just shook his head.

Inside Antonio was finished with the young cashier, so he retreated to the kitchen and found Kat sitting on a stool , far off look on her face. He stood in front of her, placing his hands on her knees. "Kat." His voice startled her and she jerked her head, meeting his eyes. Her eyes focused and she smiled at him.

"All done? Is she okay? I feel horrible…" she started to ramble and he stopped her by capturing her mouth with his. Her troubles melted away with that kiss… he always knew exactly how to calm her. He pulled away , resting his forehead on hers.

"You called me your boyfriend. "

Her cheeks tinged pink . "Oh my gosh I'm sorry, I didn't even think… that was super unprofessional wasn't it?" she started rambling again and he tipped her chin til she looked at him.

"No… it's fine. It's more than fine. " He grinned at her and kissed the tip of her nose. "I need to finish my report , you okay here?"

"Yeah I'll be okay . I'm going to clean up the glass and call Matt, see if he can help with the window." She hopped off the stool , interlocking her fingers behind his neck and pulling him close, she kissed him slow. He relished these moments . The two of them alone, taking their time with each other . His hands landed on her lower back, and he pulled her even closer . At that moment they heard a coughing noise and broke apart to find Adam standing at the doorway.

"Sorry guys." Adam felt bad for interrupting but they had work to do.

Kat face was flushed when she pulled away. Antonio made her heart race, and it scared her a little how turned on he could make her. "Its ok, I know you guys have to get back to work."

Antonio kissed her quickly , whispering in her ear something that made her turn a deeper shade of red, and then was off. Adam shook his head and winked at Kat, and left right after him.

Kat followed them out , stopping to grab a broom and dustpan, and went to work cleaning the glass up. She sent Mary upstairs to her apartment , she figured the girl had been through enough excitement for one day, and called Matt.

Matt was at the firehouse when he heard his phone buzz. Pulling it out he grinned when he saw the name on the caller ID. "Hey Kat! What's up?"

"Hey Lieutenant I need a favor. The front window of my bakery was just shattered…again. Is there a way you could come and replace it when you're off shift ? I'll pay you of course, for supplies and labor."

"No way am I accepting anything but some sort of baked goods from you. I'll be happy to stop by, shift is almost over anyway. What size is the window?" he wanted to ask what happened but figured he would just get the story when he stopped by.

Kat let him know the measurements and said there would be payment waiting when he got there. They disconnected and Matt went to talk to Kelly.

An hour later Kat heard vehicles pulling up. She opened the front door and found all of firehouse 51 gathered around Matt's truck, helping him unload a massive piece of glass for the front window.

"Oh my gosh! You all didn't have to come!" Kat was overwhelmed at the support.

"Sure we did. A family member is in trouble, we all help out. " Christopher pulled her into a hug, kissing her temple. "Besides, you were offering free food, of course we would be here!"

Kat laughed "Of course! There is a fresh batch of cupcakes on the counter – help yourselves." She turned to Matt and Kelly as most of the group went inside. "Thank you both."

"What happened?" Kelly pointed to the hole where her window used to be.

She ran down the story of what had happened earlier, including the trip to the prison to see Ken and what he had told her. "I know, I'm probably stupid for believing him, but… somethings not right about this whole thing. " The two men shared a glance.

"You aren't stupid, just trusting . " Kelly put his arm around her shoulders. "If you say he didn't do it, then we believe you."

"Just don't jump head first into that trust quite yet. Let Voight do some digging before you completely believe him." Matt spoke up. "I mean, he did hurt you all those years ago, so we know he's capable."

She nodded. "Thanks guys. I better go make sure your team hasn't cleared my inventory out." She winked at them and went inside.

They watched her walk away, shaking their heads. After all she had been through, the girl still couldn't bring herself to think the worst of the guy who almost killed her. They got to work measuring and cutting the glass to fit the window frame, while the rest of the crew were inside keeping Kat company. A few hours later she had a brand new window, and the crew had full stomachs. After they left Kat took off for home.

Kat walked in to an empty house. She figured Antonio would be stuck at the district for awhile longer, so she sent him a text letting him know she had made it home just fine, and headed straight for the shower. As she stripped she thought about everything that she had been through the last few months, and how she couldn't let it break her. She got in and let the hot water fall down around her, washing away any remaining traces of sadness she had over the situation. She knew she had to remain strong, no matter what she went through. She had supportive friends , no… family, that she could lean on now, unlike all those years ago when she was alone. She laughed out loud at the thought of the firehouse crew trying to be civil when they fought over the cupcakes she had laid out. They really were like a bunch of grown children , and she loved it. Kat stood for as long as she could in the shower, lost in thoughts, until the water turned cold. When she got out she wrapped herself in a fuzzy towel , and made her way to the bedroom to change. She was pulling on a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie when she heard a noise at the front door. Figuring it was Antonio coming home she made her way out to greet him. "Hey babe, you're home. I was just about to start –" she got no farther before she felt something hit the back of her head and blackness took over.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: yup…shits hitting the fan now! Also side note : happy holidays everyone !!! 3

Chapter 17

Antonio heard his phone buzz, so he glanced at it and saw Kat had sent him a message. He stopped for a second to read it, smiling, then he went back to work. They had checked pod footage of the street to see if they could catch a glimpse of who had lobbed the brick through Kats window, but so far nothing . Antonio rubbed his face with his hands, he was exhausted. Between their normal case load, and this one that just didn't want to be solved, he was hardly sleeping . Jumping up he went to the break room and grabbed a much needed cup of coffee. He was leaning against the counter lost in thought when Jay joined him.

"Hey Tonio. How's Kat holding up?" Jay grabbed a cup and the coffee pot, pouring himself some before putting it back.

"As well as can be expected. She's tired of this shit, and so am I." Antonio shook his head "I can't figure out what the game is here. Who would have something to gain by torturing her?"

"Well, we know Ken got released today, you think he would have some insight ?" Jay took a few sips of his coffee and set the cup in the sink. "I would be up for a ride if you wanted to go chat with him…"

Antonio nodded "That sounds like a great plan." He sat his cup down and they exited the break room with the intent of walking downstairs when Hanks voice stopped them.

"Antonio, Jay… there's something I need to discuss with you all." The rest of the team were standing around near their desks so the two men stopped and waited. "Kat went and saw Ken today…"

"She did WHAT?" Antonio burst out "Are you kidding me? Why the hell…" He glared at Ruzek, knowing he had been with her during the day, causing the younger man to shift his gaze anywhere but at Antonio .

Hank held up his hand . "She believed he had something to say, and he did. He said he was framed, that the house we hit wasn't his. The photos were planted, and that he hadn't seen the two victims for a few days prior to their deaths. We need to go back over everything, from the beginning." There was a collective sigh that came from the room that got cut short when Hank cleared his throat. His team would never outright complain, but they were exhausted. "Listen I know it's been a rough few months. I get that you all have worked long hours, but there's a killer out there, and those girls deserve peace." The team muttered in agreement and started towards their desks when Hank stopped them again. "Tomorrow. We start first thing in the morning."

Antonio hardly heard him. He grabbed his phone and immediately called Kat, and was surprised to get her voice mail. He hung up without leaving a message and called back again, only to get the same response. Jay saw Antonio's face and stepped over to him.

"What's wrong?"

Antonio shook his head. "I'm getting Kats voice mail. She always answers me when I call…" He trailed off. He got a gut feeling something was wrong. "Hank, I need to head home."

"Sure, is everything ok?" Hank saw the look in the younger man's eyes, and he had his answer. "We will follow you. Jay, drive him."

Jay nodded and the two men raced to the car, heading off to Antonio's house. The rest of the team followed in separate vehicles. While on the drive there Antonio called Matt.

"Antonio? Hey, what's up?"

"Did you see Kat today?"

"Yeah , we replaced the window at her bakery. That was a couple of hours ago though, why? " Matt didn't like the tone he heard in Antonio's voice. "What's going on?"

"Maybe nothing – but I've called and she isn't picking up. She texted me to tell me she got home and now she isn't answering. " Antonio's leg was bouncing up and down, he was starting to panic. "She always answers …."

Matt was already pulling clothes on. "I'll be there in 5 minutes."

"We're almost to the house I'll see you when you get here.." Antonio said and hung up . He looked at Jay "Bro, I can't lose her."

Jay nodded "I know man." He pulled up in front of Antonio's house and slammed on the brakes. They jumped out and both ran up to the front door. Jay had to grab Antonio's arm before they went any further. He pointed to the front door, showing him it was open. They drew their weapons and proceeded to go inside. Antonio stopped short making Jay almost run into the back of him. "Tonio what is it?" he looked around Antonio and saw what caused him to stop. Blood.

Kat groaned. Her head was pounding , like when she used to try and out drink Justin and lost. She attempted to move but her vision got fuzzy so she laid still, trying to think back to what she had been doing earlier. She could remember bits and pieces of her day, they came to her in flashes. Adam and her in the bakery. A brick ? She blinked a few times trying to clear the blurriness but it wasn't working. She closed her eyes , maybe if she just went to sleep for awhile things would be better when she woke up.

Jay made Antonio go outside while he cleared the house. When he was satisfied there was no one there he came out and joined him, waiting for Hank and the rest of the team . Antonio was pacing, and Jay could read his face. He was blaming himself even though it wasn't his fault. When the other cars pulled up Antonio had stopped pacing and had sunk onto the front step head in his hands.

"What happened." Hank could see how distraught Antonio was, so he turned to Jay waiting on an answer.

"Looks like she was in the hallway coming towards the front door. There's blood about midway up the hall. If I had to guess it was two people – one jimmied the front door to make her walk that way, the other hit her in the back of the head." Jay showed Hank from the front door where it had occurred. He didn't want them to contaminate the crime scene any more than they had. "Her phone is here too." He pointed to where it was laying on the floor next to the pool of blood.

Kim had taken a seat next to Antonio trying to comfort him. "Antonio she's tough. Look at all she's been through, she is going to be fine."

He nodded absentmindedly, and jumped up when he saw Matt's construction truck pull up. He rushed over to him as Matt got out .

"What happened Antonio?" Matt could tell it was bad by the ashen look on the man's face.

"She's gone. There's blood…" his voice cracked and Matt grabbed his shoulder to keep him from collapsing.

"Hey, she is the strongest person I know besides your sister. We'll find her." He handed Antonio off to Kevin and Adam, and stepped away to call Kelly. "Severide, I'm at Antonio's and Kats house- she's been taken."

"Taken? Like kidnapped??" Kelly sat up in bed , not sure if he was hearing the voice on the phone right .

"Antonio said there's blood in his hallway, so yes. Looks like she was hit ,maybe over the head? They didn't say how much blood. Listen I'm taking next shift off, they are going to need help."

"Of course. I'll call Chief, and be there as soon as I can." He was already changing into clothes before he hung up the phone. He finished changing as fast as he could, called Chief Bowden and explained what he knew , then made it to his car and took off towards Antonio's.

Kat had been having awful dreams. She imagined she was in a dark room, on a filthy bed. Her head hurt worse than she had ever felt before. She woke up with groaning and realized sadly she hadn't been dreaming. She tried to sit up but when she moved her head swam and her vision became blurry again. She reached around to the back of her head and when she pulled her hand back it was covered in blood. "Well shit, that's not good." She said aloud to herself. Kat realized she was trapped in a room, but not restrained , so she got up slowly and tried to feel her way around in the dark for something she could use to get out. When she didn't find anything useful she sat back down, knees drawn to her chest, chin resting on them and waited.

She didn't have to wait long. She heard voices outside the room she was in. Males, two of them from what she could gather. She heard the metal tumblers clicking when they opened the door. She tried to stand but when she looked up towards the door, she was staring down the barrel of a gun, so she sat back down.

"Smart move. " the man with the gun taunted her.

Kat knew asking them who they were or why she was there would be pointless, so she just mentioned her injury . "I'm bleeding pretty bad from this wound on the back of my head. If you want me to be useful in any way you might want to get me a doctor, or at least stitch and bandage it. " She stared at the man with the gun. He had eyes so dark she swore they were black. They scared her, but she didn't show it.

"All in due time. And you're plenty useful to us just like this. By now I'm sure your friends at the CPD have found the crime scene at your house, they'll be scrambling to figure out what happened. When their guard is down…" he glared at her. "That's when your daddy will pay. "


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: shortish chapter but wanted to give you a Christmas gift! Hope everyone enjoyed your holiday!!

Fyi: I remember a lot of the streets they use in the show, but I don't remember all of them. So anything with an actual address will be made up in my story.

Chapter 18

Back at their house Antonio was a wreck. Hank ordered him to stay out of the investigation , but it didn't work. There was no way he would just sit this out, so when Kelly showed up, Hank requested he and Matt stay with Antonio to stop him from doing anything drastic. The team split up with Jay, Hank and Hailey going after Ken. Kim and Kevin pulled pod footage from the street. It was determined the assailants had broken in the back door, and this hadn't been a robbery attempt. Adam was dumping Kat's and Ken's phones for all activity.

Matt and Kelly went with Antonio as he talked to his neighbors. They needed him away from the crime scene – He kept trying to go in the house and take over. They knew he wouldn't calm down until he had some sort of job to do, and Hank gave his blessing.

The first stop for Hank, Jay and Hailey was Kens attorney. They pulled her out of her house and had her dragged to the district under threat of prison time for impeding an investigation if she didn't cooperate. After questioning her they found out the guys Ken owed were some pretty shady people, Mark and Rodger Valdez were the main ones, brothers that ran a drug running operation out of the South side of Chicago. Jay and Hailey got a warrant for their house, which ended up being clean. Adam ran their phones and came back with the link to Ken, the three shared a bunch of texts over the last few hours. Everyone met back up at the district to run everything down, including Antonio , Kelly and Matt.

"So what do we know so far?" Hank asked, and had 5 people start talking at once. He held a hand up. "Ruzek, go."

"Well I pulled muds and luds on every phone. Kat hasn't had anything strange come across hers, no out of place texts or calls. But Ken, he's been messaging these two" pointing to the photos of the Valdez brothers " All night long." He handed out print outs of the text messages. "This one is from about an hour ago. Ken – tell me you got the package. Now I'm going to assume the package is Kat…" he stopped when he heard Antonio growl.

"This bastard said he wasn't involved . Kat believed him." He slammed his hands down on the nearest desk. "Sarge, give me 5 minutes with him."

Hank knew the anger Antonio was feeling , he felt it too. "You'll have to get in line. Atwater, Burgess. We get anything on the pod or surveillance footage?"

"Yes, found a black SUV that pulled up into the alley behind the house. Looks like they picked the back door lock, one male offender entered there, the other came around to the front. It's not a great angle, but we can make out a part of the plate. Too dark to run facial recognition though." Kim was on her computer, showing the video to the group. "We see the one male enter the back holding something in his hands, then about 5 minutes later they both appear, carrying what looks to be…" she trailed off.

"We think it's Kat Sarge." Kevin finished.

"You think? Why don't you know?" Hank peered at the computer. "Is that…"

"What? What is it?" Antonio couldn't stand it, he rushed over and pushed his way to the computer screen. He stood staring at the image in front of him. The two men were carrying a plastic tarp, with something rolled up inside of it. His voice cracked "Is that Kat?" he backed up slowly and bumped into Matt and Kelly, who held him up before his legs gave way.

Kim shot him a sad look and nodded "We believe so. We don't see anything or anyone else after they leave. The whole thing took less than 10 minutes. "

Jay spoke up "With the amount of blood that was at the scene, it looks like they knocked her out so they could carry her without a struggle."

"No neighbors mentioned hearing any gun shots or loud noises. " Matt mentioned "So it seems probable they knocked her out ." He still had a hold of Antonio's shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"Where is Ken Bowman. I want him in the cage, NOW." Hank barked. The team gathered their coats and all headed out to his LKA, leaving Matt, Antonio and Kelly at the district. When they didn't find him there Adam pinged his phone, which had just received another text . Mark- your package is secure. The ping put him at a bar on Wabash, so the team hit it. They found Ken sitting at the bar, like he didn't have a care in the world.

"CHICAGO PD everyone remain calm! Kenneth Bowman, we need you to come with us." Jay was first in the door, making sure no civilians were in the line of fire, while keeping Ken in his gun site.

Ken took a sip of his drink. "This feels a little like déjà vu… am I being accused of something again ?"

"Put your hands on your head and turn around slowly. We need to ask you a few questions. " Jay kept his gun on him.

"I need you to talk to Kat. She can straighten this whole thing out." He smirked and put his glass down. "I'm reaching in my pocket for my phone ."

At that moment Hank stormed in, walking up to Ken and pointing his gun straight to the mans temple. "Do it, I dare you."

"Sergeant Hank Voight I take it? Have you talked to Kat yet? She was going to set this whole thing right." He flinched a bit when the cold steel pressed against his temple harder.

"She's been kidnapped, but you know all about that, don't you. Get up" he grabbed the man by the shirt "You're coming to the district. " He pulled him up off the stool and shoved him at Adam and Kevin who were standing next to Jay, guns drawn. "Get him in the cage."

"Wait, Sergeant what do you mean she's been kidnapped? I talked to her today, she said she would talk to you!" the man looked confused. "I don't understand!"

Hank reached in his pocket and took out the phone they had pulled the texts from. He handed it to Adam who verified the text was there, handing it back to Hank. "You see this? What package are you talking about? Huh??"

Ken looked wide eyed "That's NOT about Kat… Sergeant I wouldn't hurt her."

They shoved him in the back of a car and drove him back to the district. Hank pulled him out of the back seat and threw him into the cage, when Antonio walked downstairs followed by Matt and Kelly, then Adam. They had to hold him back from going after Ken when he saw him.

"Hank, let me in there with him! I'll get a confession from him…" Antonio's face was red.

"Antonio you can't be here. Guys take him upstairs. NOW." Hank pointed to the door and the men pulled on Antonio's arms.

"Antonio come on. You don't want to do this, let Voight take care of him." Kelly tried reasoning with him but he wouldn't budge.

"Wait, is this the guy that stole Kats heart? When I saw her today I could tell she was different … "Ken acted genuine . "Listen you all need to know , I apologized to her about my actions years ago . I told her I haven't been doing these things to her, and I definitely didn't do this. I'll help any way I can." He turned to Hank. "Sergeant, I know it doesn't mean much but I couldn't do this… I wouldn't. " His face seemed sincere… or he was a stellar actor.

"Bring him to interrogation. " Hank ordered Adam, who pulled the man from the cage and brought him upstairs. The firefighters followed, leaving Hank with Antonio.

"I know okay. I get it." Antonio held his hands up in surrender . "I can't just sit around and do nothing, Hank I love her and she's out there. We need a lead, something . " He scrubbed his face with his hands in frustration.

"I know. I want to put a bullet in this guy for what he did to her, but we need his help. Let me handle him, you go to my house. Get a shower, some rest. You can't keep on like this bro, Katie would kill me if she saw you right now. " he slapped the younger man on the back. "I'll call with any updates." He handed Antonio the spare key Kat had given him back and practically forced Antonio out the door.

Kat concentrated on her breathing , trying to keep the nausea at bay. The man that had come in the room had mentioned Hank, and how when he was distracted they would strike. That meant she was just a decoy but she didn't know why. She wished she had told Antonio she loved him in that message… it might be the last time she got the chance. Kat shook her head slightly and cursed at the pain. She couldn't think like that, she had to get out of here. She became quiet, and she could hear what sounded like metal clinking… a chain hitting something. She took a deep breath and smelled… water. She was near the lake or the river... Her eyesight had gotten used to the darkness and she could make out concrete walls, it looked almost like an abandoned warehouse of some sort? She heard noises again so she sat back down on the filthy mattress, curled up in a ball , teeth chattering .

Antonio walked into Voight's house, petrified and angry. He knew not being at the district was the right thing to do, but it didn't stop his gut from twisting. This woman meant everything to him, and he couldn't do anything for her. He immediately retreated to the shower, hoping to get some clarity in the hot water.

Instead he thought about Kat. Her smile when she looked at him...how she would make little noises when he kissed certain spots...how her hand fit perfectly in his. When she laughed really hard at something, sometimes she would let out a cute little snort, which always caused her to turn bright red but didn't stop her from laughing . Mostly he thought about her eyes. He couldn't get enough of those eyes, looking at him with such love… They turned blue when she was happy and grey when she was turned on…he slammed his fist into the shower wall when he realized he might not see those eyes again. He got out of the shower threw on clothes he had grabbed from his house ,then retreated to the kitchen . There he grabbed a beer from Hanks fridge , and jumped a foot in the air when he heard a noise behind him.

"Jesus Halstead. What the hell are you doing here?"

"Voight suggested I keep you company. I think to make sure you didn't come back until you had gotten some sleep." He glanced at Antonio's hand , which was bruised and bloody.

"Shower wall, it's fine." Antonio grabbed another beer from the fridge and handed it to Jay. "I'll sleep when she's found. Have you come up with anything yet?" They both went to the living room and sat down.

Jay wanted to make a smart remark about the wall not being his enemy, but he bit it back. His friend was hurting , and he understood the frustration and anger Antonio was feeling. He was feeling it too, although maybe not to quite the same degree. After Kat and Antonio became official, Jay was happy to remain her friend. Their friendship was important to him, even if it was a bit strained at first, but Jay never stopped caring about her.

"He's in interrogation with Voight right now. Figure we will hear something soon." He took a pull from the bottle Antonio had handed him, and hoped his assumption was right.

Ken was in interrogation, but wasn't saying much . He stuck to the story of the texts being about a shipment of drugs, and that he had no clue who had Kat.

Hank wasn't about that. He had who was left at the district start from the beginning, looking for connections , grasping at straws.

Kat heard the men talking outside the door before they came in, and prayed this would all be over soon. If her father figure had taught her anything, it was to never let the enemy see you upset. So she took a deep breath and waited .

The younger of the two walked in , carrying a blanket. Kat would have jumped up and kissed the man if he hadn't kidnapped her. She had only changed into sweats and a hoodie, no socks or shoes after her shower so she was freezing .

"Here. Figured you might be cold. " He handed her the blanket and turned to walk back out the door.

"Thank you! I really appreciate that. I'm sorry, I don't know your name. Mine is Katherin , but everyone calls me Kat ." She wrapped the blanket around her and rubbed her arms trying to get warm.

The man turned back around and opened his mouth to say something when she heard a shout from outside the room. "What the hell are you doing?" the older man that had pointed the gun at her earlier stood in the doorway. "This isn't the Ritz, why are you giving her a blanket ?"

"Bro she's cold. I'm not an animal." The younger man smiled at her and walked past the other one through the doorway.

"Don't get comfy little girl. You won't be here much longer." The older man waved his gun at her. "Your daddy will figure it out sooner or later."

"Figure what out exactly? Maybe if you tell me what you're after I can help ?" Kat was starting to get feeling back in her arms so she went to rubbing her legs.

"Nice try . You think you're clever don't you?" he sneered at her. "Well you aren't. As soon as we get the go ahead , we'll be done with you."

"Go ahead… from Ken right?" she took the chance and by the look on the man's face she guessed right. "Ken and I go way back… he wouldn't have wanted this. In fact he told me he wasn't involved in all the things that had happened to me. But let me guess, you were ?" Another correct assumption.

The man laughed "He wasn't involved? He's the one that orchestrated the entire thing." The man walked closer to her, staring. "I don't see why you make him all worked up… although maybe I'm not getting the whole picture. " He was uncomfortably close to Kat now, who was having a hard time keeping calm. At that moment she heard a beeping noise, and both she and the man looked down at her wrist. "What the hell is that ??" he yelled pointing the gun at her.

Kat held her hands up "Its just my heart tracker. I wear it everywhere, it's letting me know my heart rate is elevated. I've had to wear it since…" she thought about whether she should tell him the story and decided to do it. "Ken stabbed me about 5 years ago. I almost died, so I wear this to remind myself to take care of my heart." Not entirely true, but the man didn't care.

"Oh." He seemed at a loss for words, so he turned around and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Kat let out the breath she had been holding. In reality it was a fitness tracker that was GPS enabled. She prayed the team would figure this mess out soon. She cursed Ken , and cursed herself for believing even for a second he had nothing to do with this.

Antonio had started to doze off when he bolted upright in the chair, causing Jay to sit up too. "What is it Tony??"

"Her wristband!" Antonio jumped up and started pulling on his shoes and jacket. "You drive, we need to get to the district."

Jay was lost but he did the same and followed Antonio out to the car.

When they got there and ascended to the bull pen the rest of the team looked as frustrated as Antonio felt earlier. Hank saw them come up the stairs . "I thought I told you to get some rest." He turned his stare towards Jay who shrugged.

"Kat wears a fitness tracker. Like all the time, she doesn't take it off. Those things are GPS enabled aren't they? "

"Yes!" Adam did some digging on the computer and found Kats tracker , and where it was showing her to be. "Old abandoned metal factory on the river. 2509 E 34th ST. " The team loaded up and waited downstairs for the signal to move.

Kat was appreciative of the blanket but she was still freezing. Her fitness tracker indicated her heart rate was slowing down, and her head was still fuzzy, so she knew she wouldn't last much longer before passing out. She heard the door open again and saw the nicer of the two men holding her with a bottle of water in his hands. Crossing the room he knelt down and held out the bottle to her.

"I'm sorry about my brother, and about the situation . You seem like a nice girl, you don't deserve this."

Kat took the bottle from his outstretched hand and quickly drank most of it before responding "I don't know why Ken would want to do this. I can't get him his product or money if I'm dead. "

The man looked at her wide eyed "We aren't going to kill you. No you're just our ticket to the money. Mark's gonna call your dad and ask for a ransom, that's all."

She took note of the name he let slip. "What about Ken? I'm sure CPD has re arrested him by now." She took another drink from the bottle "How does that work?" she wanted to keep the man talking maybe he would let something else slip.

"He has been. But he won't be there for long. Listen, I am really sorry about this whole thing. "

Kats eyes started to get heavy. "You… drugged me?"

She could see the man's face staring back at her, but she dropped out of consciousness before he could respond.

Hank phone buzzed with an unknown number as they were vesting up. He put it on speaker "This is Hank Voight."

"Sergeant , I believe you have someone in your precinct who needs to be released. In exchange for him and 100 thousand dollars I will hand over your daughter. " came the voice over the line.

Antonio started to respond when Hank stopped him with a stare. "You're talking about Kenneth Bowman . How about this. I keep him, and I give you the 100 grand. "

"Sure , you could do that. And I could send you your girl back in pieces. " That comment caused the entire team to get angry. "Bring Ken and the money in an hour, I'll text you the address. Come alone Sergeant. "

"I need proof of life. " Hank hated uttering the words. He heard his phone ding indicating a text had been sent and the line disconnected . When he opened up the picture he saw Kat, unconscious laying on a mattress in a dark room. There was a water bottle laying next to her, which made Hank realize she had been drugged. The next message gave him an address that was not the building her tracker was putting her in. "I want all of you to stake out the building at E 34th . I'll go to this location they sent me with Ken."

"Boss, you need back up. " Adam piped up. "Let me and Atwater follow you. You can get that much cash?"

"We won't need it."


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: hope everyone has a happy and safe new years!!

This story is coming to a close, but I hope you all enjoyed it!!

Chapter 19

Hank practically drug Ken out of the district by his collar, throwing him into the back of his vehicle and drove off to the location he was given. "What's wrong Sergeant?" Ken kept the concerned hilt to his voice. "Is this about Kat?"

"If it were up to me you would be in a shallow grave somewhere … keep it up that might be where you end up." Hank growled at him. "You don't deserve to be breathing . " He slammed on his brakes causing Ken to go head first into the seat in front of him, and turned around to glare at the man. "She believed you, you know. She trusted you. "

That was the point Ken finally broke his façade. "I believed HER! I trusted HER! All those years ago, I believed she would make me money, that she wanted to be around me. Then she was gone, thanks to you . And then by some small miracle she came back to me, only to disappear again. AFTER she caused me to lose a ton of money and product, not to mention my place in the drug running business . She caused that. And YOU. " He spit out blood that had pooled in his mouth after hitting his face on the seat. "You both deserve to suffer for what she did. And she will definitely suffer… those guys she's with? They didn't appreciate her stealing their product. I imagine they haven't been too kind to her." His tone turned ugly, and Hank got what he was implying. He got out of the car, opened the back door and waited.

Kat woke up when she felt herself moving. She could hear voices , although they were disembodied. "She's breathing, but her pulse could be better . Let's get an IV started. " She opened her eyes and found herself looking into a familiar pair. "Sylvie?' she tried to talk but the paramedic quickly stopped her.

"Antonio! She's back with us." Sylvie gave her a big grin and stepped aside to allow Antonio next to Kat.

"Baby, you're okay…" he grabbed her hand and squeezed tightly , kissing her forehead. "Sylvie and Emily are taking you to Med."

"No… I'm fine." She struggled against the restraints they had her in when they put her on the gurney.

"I'm going to have to disagree." Sylvie stepped up, putting a hand on Kats shoulder . "You need to get checked out. You have the start of hypothermia , not to mention the cut on the back of your head needs stitches." She glanced at Antonio "He will be right behind us."

He nodded "I will I promise, I'll be right there."

Kat closed her eyes, she knew it was useless to fight with them. "Okay… where's Hank?"

The entire team gave each other looks. "He'll meet us at the hospital Kat…" Antonio trailed off.

Kat seemed to accept that answer, or she was just too exhausted to put up a fight any longer . She nodded slightly and closed her eyes, and the paramedics wheeled her out and to their rig. Kat didn't open her eyes but she felt each team member touch her shoulder as she was wheeled by them, including Matt and Kelly who had come to help search the warehouse… She counted three missing… and then she passed out again.

The next time she woke up she was in a familiar place. She recognized the ceiling tiles, she had seen them more times than she cared to remember. She sighed and felt someone next to her stir. When she turned her head her face lit up. Antonio was sitting in the chair next to her bed, his hand gripping hers, his head laying near her thigh. She squeezed his hand causing him to raise his head and blink a few times. When he realized she was awake he jumped up and called for a doctor.

"Kat… thank God you're awake! How are you feeling ? Does anything hurt ?" Antonio wanted to grab her and never let go, but he knew her head had to be hurting. At that moment Connor walked in.

"How's our frequent flyer doing? " He flashed a grin at her.

"I like you Doctor Rhodes, but I'm tired of coming here." Kat groaned.

"Well let's hang out at Molly's from now on then okay?" he started his exam, checking her eyes for reaction to the penlight. "Everything looks good, just need to keep you overnight for observation and to load you up with fluids. You still cold?"

Kat nodded so he asked the nurse to get her a warming blanket. "I know your head has to hurt…" he looked sadly at her, knowing she would refuse the medicine he was going to suggest.

He was right. She shut her eyes tight. "No."

"Baby you need it." Antonio knew she would still refuse but felt like he had to try and convince her. "This isn't years ago, I'm here for you to help you through whatever happens." He kissed her knuckles and brushed the hair back from her face. "Let them take care of you. "

She debated back and forth. Antonio was right, it wasn't years ago. She wasn't alone with this anymore, she had friends and family to lean on. "Fine, something weak please. " she finally gave up. Connor nodded and ordered Dilauded to be administered through her IV. It didn't take long for it to affect her, and she felt that rush from being high again. Even though it was a low dose, since her body hadn't had anything stronger than Ibuprofen for the last 4 years it hit her hard. When she passed out Connor gestured for Antonio to join him in the hall.

"Tell me straight Doc. Is she going to be okay ?" Antonio's face was filled with worry .

Connor clapped him on the shoulder "She's got a long road. I know that her agreeing to take the pain medicine was necessary but it's going to be difficult for her to process. She's been clean for 4 years, and this will be considered a backslide to her. I'll ask Daniel to come talk to her in a little bit when she wakes up."

Antonio nodded and glanced in the room at her sleeping form. "I love her. Whatever I need to do, I'll do it."

Connor patted him on the shoulder "Just be there for her." He walked away, leaving Antonio alone. He leaned against the wall outside her hospital room sliding down until he was sitting on the floor, head in his hands.

That's how Hank found him a few minutes later. Antonio felt his boss's presence before he looked up and saw him standing in front of him. He quickly got to his feet , shaking the older man's hand. "How's she holding up?" Hank peered in to the room and saw Kat fast asleep.

"She consented to pain meds." Antonio knew Kat would want him to know. "A super low dose, but it still knocked her out pretty quick. Dr. Rhodes is going to have Dr. Charles come by later and talk to her. For now she just needs rest and fluids. Where's Bowman?"

Hank just shook his head. "He tried to run." Was all he said, and then went inside Kats room to sit with her. Antonio knew he needed time alone with her, even if she was asleep, so he went to get a cup of coffee and saw the waiting room full of people.

"Antonio! How is she?" Kim saw him and called out , causing him to make the detour into the waiting room.

"She has to stay overnight, but she should be okay." He went over everything with them, and let them know their support was appreciated but that they should all go home. After most of the group left , he cornered Ruzek and Atwater , questioning them on what went down with the exchange. They filled him in on what they saw, Ken had tried to run causing Hank to put him down. The brothers showed, and we're promptly arrested by the two of them. The case was over, finally Kat would have some peace. Antonio silently thanked Hank for being the man and cop that he was, even though they didn't always see eye to eye on the way Hank handled things, but he knew the man did what he had to do to protect his own.

After the team left, Antonio went back to Kats room and found Hank asleep in the chair, and Kat awake smiling. She held a finger up to her mouth, indicating for him to be quiet when he entered. He leaned down and gave her a kiss, then sat down next to her on the bed . "I thought you were resting." He whispered.

She shrugged "I was, he snores." They both laughed quietly to themselves. "Come." She scooted to one side of the bed. "Lay with me. "

Antonio didn't think twice. He kicked off his shoes and got into bed with her, laying on one side and wrapping his arm around her, holding her close. They lay face to face, staring into each others eyes. "I was afraid I wouldn't get to see these again." He said , leaning his forehead against hers.

"I love you Antonio." Kat kissed him gently.

"I love you Kat. " He responded. They closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep together.

Six months later

Kat stood in front of the mirror checking her reflection. She was excited for tonight . It might be just another night at Molly's , but tonight it felt special . She had been seeing Doctor Charles every week for the last few months, going over everything that had happened to her, and he told her today this was her last session . She felt free. Free of the guilt she had over Kens death , of the pain he had caused her, of the anger over everything that had gone on since she was 17. She didn't relapse after having to take the pain medicine at the hospital after she was kidnapped, and Doctor Charles told her that meant she had already started to process everything . He had given her a journal to write things down in, and told her he was always available if she ever needed to talk about anything. She needed to celebrate, so Kat decided to dress for the occasion. The harsh winter weather had turned into a less harsh spring, so Kat chose a maxi dress that hugged every curve, and was a pale blue color that brought out her eyes, along with her favorite leather jacket. She heard a whistle and turned around to see Antonio eyeing her from head to toe in appreciation .

"You know we can just stay home…" he made his way over to her slowly, taking in the sight of her. When he finally made it to her, he wrapped his arms around her and his hands started to roam.

Kat blushed but smacked him playfully on the chest. "I swear Antonio Dawson , you are terrible. You just want to keep me all to yourself!"

"Well, have you seen yourself? Do you blame me?" he winked at her and pulled her close, pressing his lips to hers. When she moaned against them he deepened the kiss, and started to pull her towards the bed when his phone buzzed, causing the moment to end.

"Wow. Remind me to tell whoever that was what horrible timing they have." She laughed and kissed him quickly before padding off to the bathroom to finish getting ready.

It was Ruzek, who wanted to let Antonio know everyone was at Molly's waiting for them, and that he had the ring. Antonio sent a quick message back letting him know they would be there soon, and sat on the bed to think back on everything that had happened . It was March, Kat had walked into his life less than a year ago, but he felt like he had known her for a lifetime . He was ready for this moment . He had wanted to ask her to marry him before the kidnapping, but after she came back to him he needed to make sure she was okay before he moved to the next step. And today was the day. It was her last session with Doctor Charles, so it was a perfect excuse to go to Molly's and celebrate. He had talked to his children, who gave him their blessing. They thought Kat hung the moon, and were really excited that Antonio was planning on doing this. Eva was particularly thrilled, as her mom didn't spend much time with her anymore , and Kat had turned into one of her favorite people to be around . "You ready?" he called to her. "The beer isn't going to drink itself!"

"God forbid we aren't there to drink the beer, Molly's won't be the same!" she laughed. " Yes I'm ready." She walked out of the bathroom and Antonio fell in love with her all over again. Her hair was up in a twist, with a few strands framing her face. "What? You're staring… what is it?"

He got up and crossed the room to her, holding her face with his hands. "You're beautiful, and I love you." He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and they headed out the door.

Molly's

The crowd tonight was big, bigger than their opening night . How they all kept this secret for this long was crazy, but they all did it. All the members of Firehouse 51's second watch, Intelligence , and quite a few doctors from Chicago Med were there. Hank even showed up, and brought a special guest with him. The atmosphere was electric, the crowd was excited for Kat and Antonio to show up. "Hey!" Christopher started yelling from behind the bar. "They'll be here in 5!! Game time folks!"

As Antonio pulled up to the bar he looked at the woman sitting next to him, and was overcome with emotion. He started to get nervous that he had planned something this huge, and he second guessed himself for about 2 seconds before he shook those thoughts from his mind and went around to open the door for her. She took his outstretched hand and they walked up to the front door together. Kat paused for a second at the door when she saw the sign on it. "Closed for a private party?" she turned around and gave Antonio a look. "What did you do…"

He just shrugged and opened the door, allowing her to walk in first. The entire crowd turned and yelled SURPRISE as they walked in , and Kats eyes filled with tears. "Oh my gosh what in the world is this?" she saw Adam walk past her and hand Antonio something behind her, but it didn't register until she heard him say her name. When he did she turned and found him down on one knee, ring box in hand. The crowd was silent (a first for Molly's ) and Kat gasped and put her hand to her mouth.

"Katherin Bend, from the first moment I saw you I knew we were meant to be together. You filled a hole in my heart that had been there so long I didn't think it would ever be complete. These last 9 months have been something for the record books, but I wouldn't take a moment of them back. I love you, and it would make me the happiest man in the world if you would agree… will you marry me?" he opened the box and held up a ring she recognized, it had been Camille's. She realized after a minute she hasn't said anything and everyone was staring.

She took her hand off her mouth "You are the best person I've ever met Antonio Dawson, Yes! Yes I'll marry you!!" he jumped up and wrapped his arms around her, immediately kissing her deeply while everyone cheered. When they heard the shout of "GET A ROOM" they broke apart and he slipped the ring on her finger, as Kat felt her face turn bright red. She didn't know how the night could get any better, or how she could be any happier until she felt a hand on her arm. When she turned around she let out an excited shriek.

"Er???? What are you doing here ?" she pulled the younger woman into a tight hug.

"You think I would miss my big sis getting engaged?" Erin laughed and kissed her cheek, then did the normal fist bump with Antonio.

"You? You did this?" Kat turned to Antonio, and the look of gratitude was all over her face.

He held up his hands "Nope, I can't take credit for this one."

"I can." Hanks gravel voice spoke up from behind Erin. "I called her, you have been through too many bad times over the last 9 months, and I thought she needed to be here for one of the good ones." He leaned in and gave Kat a hug and kiss. "Camille and Justin would have loved this. " His eyes turned sad for just a moment before he smiled again.

"Camille's ring?" Kat looked down at her hand.

"I gave it to Justin when he proposed to Olive. When he died she gave it back under the strict order to make sure if someone else got it that they deserved it. And you do baby girl. You deserve all of this." Hank took hers and Erin's hands and squeezed. "You both do."

Their mini family reunion was cut short when Antonio handed her a glass of champagne. "To family." He raised his glass and everyone else raised theirs and repeated the phrase. Kat didn't drink hers, she sat it down on the bar and grabbed Antonio's hand pulling him towards the back room, so he finished his glass and followed.

"What is it? Is everything okay?" he got the words out barely before Kat pushed him against the counter, kissing him hard on the mouth. Her hands started to unbutton his pants, causing him to moan against her. "Kat… baby…"

She pulled back and stared into his eyes. "I love you so much." She pulled her panties down, shimmied out of them, and handed them to him. "Either I walk around all night like this or you take me right now." Her eyes flamed with desire and Antonio was done for . He growled and turned her around, bending her over the counter. He pulled down his pants and boxers while she lifted her dress. His hands roamed her backside which was on perfect display to him. He pressed into her gently at first but he became overcome with want, especially when he saw the light glint off her ring and she moaned his name. The actual act was quick and they were both thankful for the crowd noise in the actual bar so no one heard Kat yell. When they were finished Kat cleaned up and walked back over to Antonio who had a very satisfied grin on his face. "What?" she giggled and leaned against him.

"I don't know how I got so lucky. " He responded, peppering her with kisses. He started down her neck which made Kat moan and pull away.

"You keep that up and we won't make it back to our own party." She winked at him and started to walk away.

"You forgetting something?" he held out her panties to her, and she just smiled and shook her head, walking out of the room. Antonio laughed and shoved them in his pocket, and joined her.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The rest of the night flew by, with lots of hugs and congratulations being directed the couple's way. Kat watched Erin and Jay talk "I'm glad she's back, even if it's only for a few days. He needs this, and so does she." She felt Antonio's arms wrap around her, and his voice in her ear.

"Can we leave yet? I'm ready to take my fiancée home…" his tone made her flush a deep red.

Kat laughed and turned to face him. "You're the one that planned this whole thing! You want to ditch our friends?"

He grinned and nodded. "If it means I get you alone then hell yes I do." He leaned in and kissed her soundly on the mouth, his tounge breaking past her lips and stroking hers. Kat pulled away from him and she could see the desire in his eyes.

She put him out of his misery. "Yes, let's go home."

The next day Kat and Erin met up for coffee down the street from Kats bakery. When Erin sat down Kat started peppering her with questions.

"So how long are you here? How was it seeing Jay? Will you be my maid of honor? Did you sleep with Jay?"

Erin laughed loudly. "Geeze woman. Take a breath! First off, yes I would love to be your maid of honor . I'll come back for the wedding and be available via text and phone calls for as much of the planning as I can be, but I'm leaving to go back to NY tomorrow. As for the other questions – it was really great seeing Jay. I miss him a lot… He was my partner and best friend for a long time. And that last question?" she pointed at Kat "You don't get the answer to."

Kat grinned. It felt so great having Erin back in her life she almost forgot about all hell she had gone through. "Okay well, tell me this time you won't just disappear on the guy. "

Erin shook her head "No, I will be saying a proper goodbye this time. Now speaking of inappropriate questions…." She glanced at the coffee sitting untouched in front of Kat. "How far along are you?"

Kat looked at her wide eyed "What? What are you talking about??"

"Kat come on. I'm your sister and best friend, you really think you can pull one over on me? You didn't drink last night , you aren't drinking your coffee and I've never known you to NOT drink coffee… so spill, how many months."

Kat flushed a deep red , and held up 3 fingers. "Please do NOT tell anyone, I was planning on telling Antonio last night until he managed to surprise me with the whole engagement party. " She looked down at her ring and tears formed in her eyes. "Oh Er, I'm so happy right now. What if this ruins it? He's already got two kids he adores , what if he didn't want another one …. We never even talked about it…"

She felt Erin grab her hand and squeeze. "Kat look at me." Kat looked up and locked eyes with her, blinking away tears. "Antonio Dawson is one of the best men I've ever met. He's loyal to a fault. He's fierce, strong, and has a good moral compass. If there is ANYONE that you should be able to talk to about this , it's him. He will be thrilled, I know it. " She hopped off her stool and came around to stand in front of Kat. "Now I say you make a special delivery to the precinct and surprise him right there. "

"Really?" Kat knew they hadn't caught a case they are just catching up on paperwork today. "I guess I could bring him this." She reached into her purse and pulled out a sonogram photo.

"Oh my god is that my baby nephew or niece??" Erin grabbed the photo out of Kats hand and stared at it.

Kat giggled "Yes, but it's too early to know which yet. How about we make a copy of this and I give one to Hank too?"

"Yes!" Erin shouted, causing the coffee shop patrons to look at her. "Lets do it!!" she grabbed Kats hand and pulled her from the shop, heading to the car.

At the precinct the team was wishing for a call, something they hardly ever do. "So, Antonio have you guys decided on a date?" Adam broke the silence of the bull pen .

Antonio grinned "No, we didn't talk much last night.." He stated making the entire team laugh.

"I'm volunteering as a bridesmaid, tell Kat!" Kim said.

"Me too!" Hailey raised her hand .

"I'm sure she would love that , I'm just not sure how big of a wedding we are going to have." Antonio had done the church wedding already, but he didn't want to have Kat miss out on something she had dreamed of just because he had done it all before. "You'll have to ask Kat. "

"Ask me what ?" Kat and Erin walked up the steps into Intelligence, each carrying a box.

Antonio rushed over to her and squeezed her tight. "There she is! Hey fiancée, what are you doing here?"

She laughed and kissed him on the cheek. "Hi fiancée. I have something for you and Hank. " She handed him the box she was holding. "Tell me he's here."

"I am." Came his gruff voice from the door way of good office. "What's all this?"

Kat took the box from Erin and brought it to Hank. "A little something for you and Antonio." Her eyes sparkled "Go ahead. Open it." She walked back to Antonio and sat down behind his desk while he stood in front and opened the box.

Inside the paper lay a picture frame with the sonogram photo in it. "I'm so lucky you're my daddy" was written on a note stuck to the photo. Antonio was shocked, and it took him a second to realize what it meant. "You…you're…." he couldn't finish the sentence.

Kat nodded and looked to Hank, who had opened his box. He had the same photo in a frame with the note "I'm so lucky you're my grandpa" on it. Kat could see the tears welling in his eyes. He didn't say a word, just strode over to Kat, pulled her from the chair and wrapped his arms around her.

Antonio sat back against his desk. He was so completely overwhelmed with emotions , he didn't even know which way to turn. It dawned on him the rest of the team had no idea what was going on, so he finally spoke up. "Kat and I are having a baby. " He barely got the words out before the team huddled around him, slapping him on the back, giving hugs and high fives. Then they moved to Kat, who Hank finally let go of.

"That's great Darlin! Congrats!!" Adam gave her a gentle hug.

"Oh my gosh I can't wait to help you shop! I mean, if you want." Kim was super excited for them, and had a hard time keeping it in.

Kat laughed. "Yes I would love that." She glanced at Erin, who was giving Hank a hug then at Antonio who hadn't spoken to her yet. "If you guys don't mind, I think I need to talk to my fiancée. " She held out her hand and waited for Antonio to take it.

He looked at her and nodded, putting the box down on his desk. He took her hand and they walked to the locker room. He waited until they were alone before pushing her against the lockers gently and kissing her.

"So you aren't mad at me?" Kat asked in between kisses .

"Mad? I would never be mad at you baby." He said, kissing his way down her neck. "I was just in shock is all."

"So you're happy about this?" Kat pushed him back from her to look into his eyes. "I know you have two kids, and we need to talk to them about this. I don't want them feeling left out."

Antonio's eyes lit up . "I love you so much, for caring about my kids , for surprising me with this… you are the best thing that's ever happened to me. I can't wait to be married to you , and start our family." He leaned in again to kiss her.

"Why wait then? Let's get married now." She grinned at him. "Antonio I love you. I don't want to spend another minute not being your wife…"

Antonio paused "But, you've never been married before. You sure you don't want a big ceremony?"

"Who says we can't have a big ceremony? I know the firehouse has been the site of a wedding or two, or Molly's . Either one will work for me, as long as Hank can walk me down the aisle and you're at the end of it then I will be the happiest woman in the world. " She kissed him softly.

Antonio responded with a more intense kiss before they heard a knock on the locker room door. "Sorry to interrupt but we caught a case." Jay poked his head in.

"Its okay, you go, I'll talk to Chief Bowden and ask to use the firehouse. I think they will have more room for everyone. Then reception at Molly's ?"

Antonio nodded . He still couldn't believe how lucky he was to have had this woman walk into his life. "I'll be back soon." He kissed her again and walked out of the locker room.

Jay grabbed her arm as she walked past. "Congratulations Kat, truly. You are going to be an amazing mom. " He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

"Thanks Jay, I really hope you're right. Do me a favor? Watch his back please." She looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Always." He nodded and walked away.

Kat left the precinct with Erin. After filling her in on their plan to get married ASAP, Erin called her boss in NY and asked for extended leave. There was no way she was missing this. Erin went back to Hanks house and Kat went to the firehouse to talk to Chief Bowden.

Firehouse 51

Kat walked up the driveway to the firehouse and tried imagining it decorated for a wedding . She knew it had risks, if they were called out everything would be interrupted, but she couldn't imagine a more fitting place to have her ceremony. She heard the squad members arguing over something in the truck bay, so she made her way to them.

"Kat! Hey what are you doing here?" Kelly got up to give her a hug. "Where's Antonio? I mean, we are allowed to hug you now that you're engaged right?" he teased causing her to bump him with her shoulder .

"Of course you are. He caught a case, but I needed to talk to Chief Bowden if he's around?" she waved to Cap, Tony and Cruz who were sitting at the table .

"Yeah he's in his office . Everything ok?" Kelly looked at her questioningly.

She grinned at him. "Better than ok!" she leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek, and made her way to the chiefs office. She knocked once, and waited.

"Come in." He rose from his seat and waved her in. "Kat, what can I do for you today?"

"Well Chief, I need to use your firehouse . " she smiled at him.

After they discussed the details Chief Bowden and Kat made their way to the common room where the team was all sitting. "Listen up, we have a special announcement." He bellowed then gestured to Kat.

"A couple of things. First off, I wanted to thank you all for being so supportive over the last 10 months. I have never had such amazing friends like I found with you all. Which is why I'm going to ask for a favor. Antonio and I want to get married here, as soon as possible. " her comment was met with resounding cheers. "Also, Otis, Christopher Stella… can we have our wedding reception at Molly's?"

"Of course sweetheart! Anything you want. I'll order more scotch for the occasion." Herrmann got up and pulled Kat into a hug.

"Well, you don't have to order any extra for me." She subconsciously laid her hand on her stomach, and she heard Sylvie gasp.

"You're pregnant?!" she jumped up and gently pushed Herrmann out of the way so she could hug Kat.

"I am." Kat laughed "3 months." She gave Sylvie a squeeze and continued to talk . "We don't need the wedding to be anything fancy, just you all to be there."

The crowd gathered around her, giving hugs and congratulations. She slipped away when she saw Matt and Kelly standing towards the back of the room and went to talk to them.

"I hear I'm not the only one who deserves congratulations… Captain Casey." She grinned and leaned up giving him a kiss on the cheek.

He shrugged "Not as exciting as your news. Mine means more paperwork… yours means…"

"Dirty diapers? " Kelly finished his thought and the three of them laughed.

"I want to thank you both, for everything you've done. I never would have made it this far without you two, and I want you to know I'll never forget it." Kat gave them each a hug and kiss.

"We care about you, just glad everything worked out. " Matt smiled at her. "So when is this wedding?"

"As soon as you guys can fit us in." Kat smiled back at him. The alarm bell rang and they all filed out. Kat thanked the Chief one more time as he was leaving and took off towards Hanks.

Erin was at Hanks, looking through the attic. She knew Camille's wedding dress was there somewhere, and she wanted to have it remade for Kat as a wedding present . She heard a noise downstairs and Kat yelling for her, so she gave up the search and came down to meet her.

"What are you doing up there?" Kat sneezed from the dust Erin had kicked up.

"Bless you. Sorry I was in the attic looking for something." Erin walked to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water, then poured one for Kat. "Drink up. You need to stay hydrated. "

Kat rolled her eyes "Is this what it's going to be like from now on Auntie Erin?" she laughed "You're worse than dad."

Erin laughed "Where do you think I got it from ?" she heard her phone buzz and checked the ID before answering "Jay?"

"Get Kat, meet us at Chicago Med. " His voice was full of panic.

"What is it? What happened?" Erin was already pulling on her shoes and motioning for Kat to follow her.

"Antonio, he's been shot."


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: so here's the deal… we all know that none of the characters can ever be happy on these shows… The second they are something bad happens. Now do I take pity on my character who has been through so much already and let her be happy? Or do I really just poop all over her. What mood am I in? Let's find out!

Chapter 21

Kat was sitting in the passenger seat, ringing her hands. Why? Why would the universe do this to her and Antonio , after everything they had gone through already? Jay didn't tell Erin what condition Antonio was in, just that he had been shot, and to get to Med as fast as possible.

Erin glanced over at her, grabbing her hand. She knew what Kat was going through, Jay had been kidnapped during one of their ops while she was on "sabbatical " from the department , and it took everything Erin had not to kill the men that took him. She raced through the streets desperate to get there as fast as she could. When they pulled up Kat almost didn't wait for the car to stop before she leaped out, causing Erin to brake hard and yell after her "Kat wait!"

Kat didn't listen. She ran inside the emergency room , past the front desk ignoring the woman yelling at her to wait. She saw a familiar face at the trauma desk "Maggie!"

Maggie looked up and waved to the receptionist, letting her know it was fine.

"Where is he? Where's Antonio?" the tears ran down her cheeks. "Please I need to know where he is!"

Kat felt strong hands wrap around her waist holding her up. She looked up and saw Will next to her. "Will, where is he? Is he okay?" he lead her to an empty room and sat her down on the bed.

"Kat , there's no easy way to say this…" he started and Kat shook her head.

"No!" she held her hands to her mouth.

"Antonio was shot two times. One of the bullets was minor, it was through and through, but the second lodged near his lung. Connor is in there right now, attempting to repair the damage. Kat, he lost a lot of blood." He held her hands, his heart breaking with every sob she made.

"Will he has to make it. We're getting married… we're having a baby…" She leaned forward as rested her head against his chest. "I can't lose him Will."

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Connor standing outside the room, so he waved him in. The look on his face was grim to say the least. "Kat sweetie Connor's here."

She raised her head to look at him. "Is he okay? "

"Kat I am so sorry. " Connor began and Will was afraid what the rest of the sentence would entail. "I did what I could, but he can't handle any more surgery at the moment . The bullet nicked his left lung, and he's bleeding internally. I stopped it as best I could , but I'm afraid we might have to remove the lung all together." Connor hung his head. He had seen this before, and it didn't turn out positively.

Kats eyes darted between Will and Connor . "He can't be a cop with one lung can he? He loves his job…"

"He loves you more. " A voice from the doorway spoke up. All three turned to see Hank standing there. "I've seen Antonio change over the last 9 months since you walked into his life. Today especially, he was excited about the baby, about the wedding . That's what's important right now. You and him." Will and Connor stepped aside to allow Hank to sit next to her.

"I'm not… I'm not family yet. I don't know if I can make that decision. Is he awake? Can I talk to him?" she turned to Connor.

He shook his head "He's in a medically induced coma, we want him to rest as much as possible. Kat I'm sorry to push but you are the closest thing to family he has."

Kat sat, shocked. She couldn't do this, make this decision. She was afraid to make the wrong one, that she would ruin Antonio's life with the words. All she wanted was for them to be happy and together, a family. She needed air. She jumped up and ran out of the room, ignoring the voices that called out to her. She shoved her way past everyone in the waiting room and out the front door of the hospital, finally pausing as she gulped deep breaths of air into her lungs. She started walking , with no direction in mind, she knew she just needed time. After stopping along the river she heard footsteps approaching, and felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and looked into familiar blue eyes. Kat fought back a sob as she beat her fists against his chest in anger and fear.

"Jay, what happened? I told you to watch his back!" she sobbed and Jay stood there and let her vent her frustrations. The fact was he let them both down. They had no idea the call they had gotten was going to turn into a gang shooting, where members of the opposite gangs started firing at each other , not caring who was hit in the cross fire. Jay was beating himself up more than Kat was , so he continued to let her hit him until she exhausted herself . "I can't do this Jay…What if I make the wrong choice? It'll affect him for the rest of his life, what if he gets mad at me? I can't…" she buried her face in his chest.

"You have to. Kat it'll save his life, that's what's important ." He rubbed her back in an attempt to calm her down. "We will figure something out, Voight always does. We just need to get him healthy." He pulled away looking into her tear filled eyes. "He would want the chance to be there for you and this baby, iregardless if it means he's a cop anymore or not." He held out his hand "Come on, let's get you back."

Kat nodded and took his hand, and they walked back to the hospital together . As they walked back through the waiting room , she saw the faces of everyone she had ran past earlier. They didn't look at her with sadness, only support, a silent "We've got your back.". Kat stopped when she heard her name being yelled, and she turned to see Diego and Eva run up to her. She dropped Jays hand and wrapped her arms around the kids tightly.

"Hey guys, I'm so sorry I didn't see you earlier." She looked up and locked eyes with Laura , Antonio's ex wife, who made her way to her. Kat knew Laura didn't like when Antonio started dating , he had told her about the run in Sylvie had with her at the firehouse, but she couldn't let that bother her now, she had too many other things to worry about. "You must be Laura, I'm Katherin, but everyone calls me Kat." She went to reach her hand out for Laura to shake it, but instead the woman pulled her into a hug shocking Kat.

"I know who you are, my kids talk about you constantly . I'm so glad they have you, Antonio too." She pulled back and looked Kat straight in the eyes. "We are here for you, whatever needs to be done."

Kat stood there for a moment , still trying to process what was happening when Connor came into the waiting room. "Kat, I need you to come with me please. " She nodded and mouthed "Thank you" to Laura before following Connor into the emergency department .

"Has there been any change? I'm sorry I rushed out of here earlier, I needed to clear my head." She blindly followed the man in front of her, not really paying attention to where they were going until he stopped. She peered in the room and saw Antonio laying in the bed. Kat gasped and rushed into the room. "Antonio!" she grabbed his hand squeezing slightly . "Can he hear me?"

Connor nodded. "He's sedated , but he can still hear you. Kat talk to him if it'll help you decide, but I need a decision soon. I'll be back in a few minutes ." he squeezed her shoulder and walked out shutting the door behind him.

Kat took a seat next to the bed, hand never leaving Antonio's. "I wish you were awake, so I could talk to you. I want to make the right decision , but I'm so afraid…" she put one hand on her stomach "Antonio I need you to be here. For us, for this baby… I can't do this alone. I know you love being a cop but… you're a father too. " She laid her forehead on the bed, closing her eyes and praying.

Connor had stepped outside to look at Antonio's chart when he heard someone come up next to him. When he looked up he saw Kelly standing there. "Kelly you can't be back here. "

"I wanted to talk to you about Antonio." Kelly said "He's got the same injury Stella did a few years back right ? What if you do the same thing for him as you did for her? Then he can still be a cop."

Connor checked the chart "The damage might be too severe, but it can't hurt to try. Okay I need you back in the waiting room please." He ushered Kelly out and then went back to Antonio's room. "Kat I think we have a compromise!"

Kat looked at him with questions in her eyes , but since the medical lingo was above her head she just nodded and told Connor to do whatever he could. The medical team rushed in and took Antonio back to surgery, leaving Kat alone in his room, head in hands.

8 months later

Kat was sitting in the rocking chair in the middle of the nursery, looking down at the bundle in her arms, singing.

 _Somewhere, over the rainbow, way up high_

 _There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby_

 _Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue_

 _And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true_

 _Someday I'll wish upon a star_

 _And wake up where the clouds are far behind me_

 _Where troubles melt like lemon drops_

 _Away above the chimney tops_

 _That's where you'll find me_

 _Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly_

 _Birds fly over the rainbow_

 _Why then, oh why can't I?_

 _If happy little bluebirds fly_

 _Beyond the rainbow_

 _Why, oh why, can't I?_

She was in love. Gabriella Camille Dawson was born six weeks prior, the spitting image of her parents. She had Kats blue grey eyes, and Antonio's jaw line and complexion. This baby had been showered with more love than Kat could ever imagine possible. Between her multiple honorary aunts and uncles, her actual aunt, her cousins and of course Hank… baby Gabby was beyond blessed. Kat was so enthralled with her daughter that she didn't know anyone else had entered the room until she felt a kiss on the top of her head. She looked up into Antonio's dark eyes "Hey babe… she's almost asleep."

He walked around the chair and knelt in front of them, kissing baby Gabby's forehead, then Kat. "I can't get enough of this sight. You look positively angelic sitting here."

Kat giggled , flushing red as she rocked the baby back and forth . "She's like her father, a fighter. I have to sing for 30 minutes before she's finally out." She handed the now sleeping infant to her dad, who turned and put her in the bassinet. Kat watched Antonio whisper to his baby daughter in Spanish before laying her down, making her smile. They snuck out of the room with one last glance towards the bassinet , shutting the door as quietly as possible .

"You think she'll sleep through the party?" Kat whispered, praying she would.

"Probably not, but there will be plenty of people ready to hold her." Antonio grinned, pulling Kat towards him. They had been through so much over the last 8 months, from Antonio's surgery and recovery to Kat giving birth, and now it was time for them to finally get married. They didn't get their firehouse wedding , but decided that a wedding and party at their house would be the next best thing .

The guests arrived a few hours later, and shortly the house was full of people . Just as Antonio thought baby Gabby didn't stay asleep for long, and Aunt Erin was happy to take care of her while Kat got ready . When she walked out of the bathroom in Camille's dress, the entire room of women that were there to help gasped.

"Oh Kat, you look beautiful ." Erin was trying not to cry openly, but it was proving difficult . She had found the dress in Hanks attic, and made sure that it was reimagined just for Kat. It was a combination of satin and lace, nothing fancy since Kat wasn't that type of person, but it fit her perfectly . She considered it her something old and new, so she just needed her borrowed and blue. Erin handed Kim the baby and pulled out a box from her purse, handing it to Kat. "Here's your something borrowed. "

Kat opened it and gasped, it was a stunning pearl bracelet that Erin had found tucked away at Hanks house. Kat held out her arm and Erin happily fastened it for her. " Now all you need is your something blue."

At that moment there was a knock on the door and Erin went to answer it. When she peeked out the crack she saw Diego standing there holding a box and note. "I have a delivery for the bride." He said holding out his hand.

"Kat you have a delivery." Erin let Diego in , taking the baby back from Kim and sat back down cooing at her.

Kat grinned and pulled Diego in for a hug. "Hey buddy! Whatcha got for me?"

He handed her the box and note "Its from dad." He waved at the rest of the occupants of the room and ran off again.

Kat sat down and opened the note tears immediately forming in her eyes.

 _"To the woman who made my life whole… today is the day we officially become husband and wife, but I knew from the day I met you we would be together. While I may have had some missteps along the way, my whole life has led me to you. You have given me everything I could ever ask for… and today you'll give me one more thing … you'll take my last name. So today I thought you deserved something that showed how much you mean, not just to me but our children too. Te amo mi amor. Antonio"_

Kat tucked the note away and opened the box, pulling out a necklace. It was silver and was a hand stamped circle of a tree with the name Dawson on it. Hanging from the circle were silver leaves , with each of their names , Diego and Eva included. The girls all awwwwed when they saw it, but only Erin mentioned the lack of something blue. That's when Kat pulled another chain out of the box that held each of their birthstones, including baby Gabby's, a sapphire.

"Wow that brother of mine can be a softie." Gabby wiped a tear away from the corner of her eye.

"Yeah, and I wouldn't have him any other way. " Kat sniffed, trying to keep herself from breaking down. There was another knock on the door and Hanks voice came from out in the hall "Its time." The women each gave Kat a squeeze. Baby Gabby was happy to spend time with her namesake, and that left Kat alone with Erin. Erin fastened the necklaces for her and turned her around so she could see herself in the mirror.

"God Kat , did you think all those years ago we would get here? " She held Kats hand "I sure didn't."

Kat shook her head "Not in my wildest dreams… are we sure it's all real?" They smiled at each other and turned towards the door when they heard Hank clear his throat.

"Ready baby girl ?" he kissed her cheek and held out his arm "You look wonderful."

Kat smiled "Ready as I'll ever be." Erin walked in first, Kat could hear the music playing and she began to get nervous… but as soon as she locked eyes with Antonio everything and everyone else melted away. She could see tears form in his eyes when he saw her. As she and Hank walked down the aisle she realized that this was exactly how life should be, surrounded by family.


End file.
